Line of Duty Determinations: Why You Need Them and What ...

Aside from that instance, the LOD determination is solely about your military status at the time of the injury. For instance, if you get into a ...   LegalServices AppellateLaw AutomotiveDealershipRepresentation BusinessLaw CongressionalInvestigations CriminalLaw EducationLaw EmploymentLaw Family&MatrimonialLaw FederalEmploymentLaw GovernmentServices ImmigrationLaw InsuranceCoverage IntellectualPropertyLaw InternationalLegalServices Litigation Mediation MilitaryLaw MunicipalLaw PersonalInjury&MedicalMalpractice RealEstateLaw&Litigation SecurityClearanceRepresentation TrustsandEstates UnionLegalServices WhistleblowerRepresentation Industries OurTeam Attorneys Staff Locations Albany,NY Austin,TX Binghamton,NY Buffalo,NY Houston,TX LaderaRanch,CA Manhattan,NY Rochester,NY SanDiego,CA SaratogaSprings,NY Syracuse,NY Washington,D.C. 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AppellateLaw AutomotiveDealershipRepresentation BusinessLaw CongressionalInvestigations EmploymentLaw FederalEmploymentLaw GovernmentServices ImmigrationLaw InsuranceCoverage IntellectualPropertyLaw Litigation Mediation MilitaryLaw RealEstateLaw&Litigation SecurityClearanceRepresentation UnionLegalServices WhistleblowerRepresentation NationalServices AppellateLaw AutomotiveDealershipRepresentation CongressionalInvestigations FederalEmploymentLaw GovernmentServices ImmigrationLaw InsuranceCoverage IntellectualPropertyLaw InternationalLegalServices Mediation MilitaryLaw PersonalInjury&MedicalMalpractice SecurityClearanceRepresentation UnionLegalServices WhistleblowerRepresentation OurFirm AboutUs InTheNews Articles Events Careers Community Resources BookaConsultationOnline AttorneyVideos Fees&Payments ClientAssurance Client’sRights Forms&Guides Contact Articles Backtoallarticles LineofDutyDeterminations:WhyYouNeedThemandWhattoDoifYouDon’tHaveOne April19,2021 MilitaryLaw SharePost: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Gettinginjuredinthemilitaryisanormalandacceptedconsequenceofchoosingtoserve.Infact,findingaveteranwhodidnotsufferanyinjuriesduringhisorherserviceisnexttoimpossible.Thequestion,however,ishowdoyouensurethatyouarecoveredforfuturetreatmentfortheseinjuriesanddisabilitycompensation,whereappropriate,whenyouaredoneserving?Theanswer:alineofduty(LOD)determination. AskingforanLODdeterminationdoesnotmeanthatyouthinkyouaremedicallyunqualifiedtokeepservingorthatyouarerequestingmodifiedduties,itisjusttodocumentforyouandthemilitarythatthisconditionwillbecoveredfortreatmentandcompensation(ifappropriate)atpresentandinthefuture.Youarealsonot“blaming”yourunitorthemilitary.BlamehasnobearingonanLODunlessyoucauseyourowninjuryasaresultofengaginginmisconduct.Asidefromthatinstance,theLODdeterminationissolelyaboutyourmilitarystatusatthetimeoftheinjury.Forinstance,ifyougetintoacaraccidentonyourwaytodrill,youcanbefoundinthelineofduty(ILOD)becausegettingtodrillisarequirementofyourservice. ActiveDutyPersonnelarenotrequiredtoobtainLODdeterminationsunlessthereisaquestionastowhethertheinjurywascausedbymisconduct,theservicememberwasAWOLatthetime,ortheinjury/illnessissuspectedasexistingpriortotheirmilitaryservice.Thefirsttwodisqualifiersareprettystraightforward,butpre-existingconditionscanbefoundtohavebeenaggravatedbymilitaryservice,whichiswhereanindividualmayneedassistancetoprovetheircase.Forpersonnelwitheight(8)yearsofservice,10U.S.C.§1207(a)indicatesthatthepre-existingconditionwillbedeclaredinthelineofduty.Thisiscommonlyreferredtoasthe8-yearruleforpresumptionofaggravation.Forpersonnelwithlessthan8yearsofactiveservice,toobtainanILODfinding,onemustshowthattheinjuryorillnessworsenedduringservicebeyondthenormalprogressionofthecondition.Thismayrequireexpertmedicalopinions. ReservePersonnelandNationalGuardsmen. LODinvestigationsareessentialforReservistsandGuardsmenwhoareinjuredwhileservinginaqualifieddutystatus,asthisisthewayforthemtoobtaintreatmentand/orcompensationfortreatmentfortheimmediateandanycontinuingissuesrelatedtotheinjury.TheproblemformanyReservistsistheinabilitytoseekmedicaltreatmentwhileatdrillorannualtraining,therebyeliminatinganydocumentationinsupportofthecauseoftheirinjury.Giventhefrequencyofinjuriesoccurringwithintheseunits,onemightthinktheyarewellversedinprocessingLODinvestigations.Unfortunately,theoppositeisoftentrue. Servicemembersdon’tenterthemilitaryknowingwhattheyneedtodocument,howtheyneedtodoit,andsoforth.Infact,mostyoungsoldiersbelievethatseekingmedicalcaremakesthemlookweakandaskingforalineofdutywillgetthemintrouble.Thisisarelativelycommonmisconceptionbasedupondrillsergeantsandotherleadersmockingthosereportingtosickcall,andbriefingpersonnelthathavinganinjurywillcausethemtobe“recycled”,thusextendingthedurationoftheirtraining.Asaresult,thetraineehidestheirinjuryandtriestorideitoutuntiltheyreturnhome. Whatdoyoudo? First,whenyougetinjuredorbeginexperiencingsymptomsofachroniccondition,tellsomeone—whetherit’syourbuddy,yourfirst-lineleader,ortheCommander.Next,ifyoucangettomedicalatdrillorduringtraining,go.Gettheinjury/symptomsdocumented.Ifyou’redownrange,seeifthedoctorwillprovideyouwithamemobeforeyouleavetheater.Oftentimes,aidstationsdon’tkeepdetailedrecordsandtheydon’tmakeitintotheindividual’smilitarymedicalfile.Youdon’twanttobeinapositionwhereyou’retryingtotrackdownthedoctortoseeifheremembersyouwhenyou’re1of10,000patientshe’sseen.Ifyou’restillonactiveduty(ordersgreaterthan30days)andyoubelievethatyourinjuryorillnesshasnotresolvedenoughtoallowyoutofullyperformyourduties,meetwithmedicalanddiscussoptionsforretainingyouonactivedutyfortreatment(MEDCONorder),agreetobereleasedwitharequestforincapacitationpay(INCAP),etc. Mostimportantly,reachouttoyourleadershipandrequestanLODinvestigation.Youwanttoaskforthisassoonaspossiblefromtheinjury/illness.Askingforthiswhilestillonordersispreferred,butifyoumissthisopportunity,askthemassoonthereafterasyoucan.Also,ifyouhavebeenreleasedfromactiveduty,don’twaitsixmonthstofollow-upwithaprovider.ReachouttotheVAoryourcivilianproviderimmediatelysothattheycanensureyoureceiveaproperdiagnosis,treatment,andaprognosisonthelikelihoodyoucanreturntoduty.DoDI1241.01statesthatabsentexceptionalcircumstances,thismustberequestedwithin180-daysofyourreleasefromthequalifieddutystatus.KeeppesteringyourunitaboutgettinganLODinvestigationaswellbecausegettingserviceconnectionfromtheVAisnotasubstituteforanILODdetermination.Youdon’twantyourLODinvestigationtofallthroughthecracks,anddocumentingyoureffortstoobtaintheLODmayhelpyouintheeventthatyoumisstherequiredtimeperiodandyouneedtogetanexceptiontopolicyasaresult.ThisisonetimewherenonewsisNOTgoodnews.Youneedtohavethatformcompletedtoensurethatyouareprotectedintheeventthatyourinjury/conditionworsenstothepointofbeingunfitforservice. Ifyoudon’trealizeyouhaveaproblemuntilmorethan180-daysafteryourrelease,don’tgiveuphopejustyet.Forchronicconditionsorthosewithlatent-onsetsymptoms(i.e.PTSD,MultipleSclerosis(MS),cancer,etc.),youmaybeabletorequestanLODinvestigationwellafteryourrelease,butyouwillhavetodosobyrequestingthatitbeinvestigatedpursuanttoanexceptiontopolicy.Thisisanintricateprocess,butifyouhaveoneoftheseconditions,itisworthpursuing. Havingthatpieceofpaperwillchangeyourseparationfromthemilitarytoeitheramedicaldisabilityretirementoramedicaldischargewithseverance,asopposedtoanadministrativedischargeastheresultofanon-duty-relatedmedicalcondition.Ifyou’reseparatedwiththelatterandyouhadyettofileyourclaimforVAbenefits,thismayalsocauseyouheadacheswithgettingtheserviceconnectionsinceyourrecordnowshowsthatyourconditionwasNILOD.Now,you’renotjustlosingoutonthepotentialretirement,butyou’realsolosingdisabilitycompensationforyourcondition,allbecauseyoudidn’tgetapieceofpaper.Don’tletthishappentoyou. What’snext? Ifyouendupinoneofthesituationsdescribedabove,seekhelptoappealthefindings(NILODbymilitaryand/ornotserviceconnectedbyVA).Ifthatdoesn’twork,you’llwanttoconsiderapplyingforacorrectiontoyourrecords.Theseprocessesareneithereasyorexpedient,whichiswhyyouwanttogetyourrecordsrightthefirsttime,butjustknowthatifyouhavethefightinyou,youcancontinuetoassertyourrighttorequesttheoutcomethatshouldhavehappenedinthefirstplace.Don’tgiveup! AllisonR.WeberisaSeniorAssociateatTullyRinckeyPLLC’sBuffalo,NYoffice.Weberisanexperiencedmilitarylawattorney,havingspentsevenyearsintheUnitedStatesArmyJudgeAdvocateGeneral’s(JAG)Corps.Shefocusesherpracticeprimarilyonmilitarylawandrepresentsclientsatalllevelsofmilitarycriminallawfrominvestigationstocourtappearances.Shecanbereachedat(716)439-4700or. Author AllisonR.Weber SeniorAssociate ViewBio RelatedArticles UnderInvestigation?KnowYourRightsandDon’tEngagetheEnemyAlone Readmore WhatVeteransandServiceMembersNeedtoKnowAboutMilitaryDischargeUpgrades Readmore KnowTheRisksBeforeYouGo:UnitedStatesMilitaryVeteransJoiningtheUkrainianArmyMayRunAfoulofFederalLawand/orLoseBenefitsorUSCitizenship Readmore Contactustodaytoscheduleyourconsultation. GetStarted Top