Hollywood and Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (Compensation)

This matter concerned an appeal by Mr Hollywood against a decision of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission regarding his claims for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol dependence stemming from his naval service. The primary incidents relied upon by Mr Hollywood were an overboard incident during his service on HMAS Stalwart and alleged witnessing of shooting incidents in the Philippines.

The Tribunal was required to determine whether Mr Hollywood suffered from PTSD and alcohol dependence, when these conditions arose, and whether his naval service contributed to them to a significant degree, as required by the relevant legislative test. The Tribunal also considered the consistency of Mr Hollywood's evidence regarding the alleged shooting incidents and the medical evidence supporting his claims.

The Tribunal accepted that Mr Hollywood fell overboard and was rescued during his service, and that he was present in the Philippines during his deployment. However, the Tribunal found significant inconsistencies in Mr Hollywood's accounts of the alleged shooting incidents, noting that similar claims in other cases had not been accepted. While acknowledging that Mr Hollywood's service was atypical and that the overboard incident may have been challenging, the Tribunal was not satisfied that he suffered from PTSD as claimed. Furthermore, the Tribunal found that Mr Hollywood's alcohol dependence arose from his employment outside of his military service.

Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision under review, finding that Mr Hollywood had not established that his claimed conditions were attributable to his naval service to the required degree.