Supreme Court Delivers Earth-Shaking 7-2 Decision… I Can’t Believe It

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Bufkin v. Collins shuts down a key path many veterans relied on. By deciding that appellate courts don’t need to reexamine how the VA applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule, the justices raised the bar—veterans must now show clear error, not just a close call.

This puts more weight on the initial claim. Strong medical evidence, detailed records, and early advocacy are now critical. While the decision may bring consistency, it also means that in complex cases like PTSD or Gulf War illness, veterans often have to win at the VA level—or not at all.