The Supreme Court on April 28 considered if the federal government may, after six years, cut off combat-related special compensation to a veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Veterans are allowed to seek retroactive, combat-related special compensation (CRSC), but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has determined that such payments are subject to the Barring Act (31 U.S.C. 3702), which has a six-year statute of limitations.
The Supreme Court looked at whether the CRSC statute (10 U.S.C. Section 1413), which authorizes such compensation, contains a method for settling claims that supplants the Barring Act.
Settlement refers to when the government renders a final administrative determination about its liability on a claim….