Bufkin v. Collins
U.S. Supreme Court · decided March 5, 2025 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Decided
- March 5, 2025
- Term
- October Term 2024
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority author
- Justice Thomas
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
(Slip Opinion) OCTOBER TERM, 2024 1 Syllabus NOTE: Where it is feasible, a syllabus (headnote) will be released, as is being done in connection with this case, at the time the opinion is issued. The syllabus constitutes no part of the opinion of the Court but has been prepared by the Reporter of Decisions for the convenience of the reader. See United States v. Detroit Timber & Lumber Co., 200 U. S. 321, 337 . SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES Syllabus BUFKIN v. COLLINS, SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT No. 23–713. Argued October 16, 2024—Decided March 5, 2025 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) applies a “benefit-of-the-doubt rule” that tips the scales in a veteran’s favor when evidence regarding any issue material to a service-related disability claim is in “approxi- mate balance.” 38 U. S. C. §5107 (b). Petitioners are veterans who ap- plied for service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) dis- ability benefits and were dissatisfied with the VA’s resolution of their claims. Petitioner Joshua Bufkin claimed that his PTSD stemmed from his military service, but the VA found no clear link. Petitioner Norman Thornton obtained service-connected PTSD disability bene- fits, but the VA denied his most recent request to increase his disabil- ity rating. These adverse determinations were reviewed de…
Excerpt of a 79,840-character opinion. The full text and citation network load in the interactive viewer above.