In a 7–2 decision in Bufkin v. Collins, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that courts must defer to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) unless there is a “clear and obvious” error. The ruling significantly weakens the long-standing benefit-of-the-doubt rule that once gave veterans an edge when evidence for or against their claim was equally balanced.
The case involved veterans Joshua Bufkin and Norman Thornton, both denied PTSD-related benefits despite presenting strong—though not definitive—evidence.Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Neil Gorsuch dissented, warning that the ruling tilts the system away from those who have already carried the heaviest burdens in service to their country.
