Trappett and Repatriation Commission (Veterans' entitlements)

The case of *Trappett and Repatriation Commission* concerned a veteran's claims for service pension entitlements. The veteran sought to have his left shoulder osteoarthritis and a subarachnoid haemorrhage recognised as war-caused. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) was required to determine whether these conditions met the criteria for service pension eligibility.

The primary legal issues before the Tribunal were whether the veteran's left shoulder osteoarthritis was service-related, specifically whether it arose from trauma to the affected joint as defined by the relevant Statement of Principles, and whether his subarachnoid haemorrhage was war-caused. The Tribunal had to consider the evidence presented, including medical reports and the veteran's own accounts of his service and injuries, in light of the applicable legislative provisions and case law, particularly the *Deledio* methodology for assessing service-related conditions.

Regarding the left shoulder osteoarthritis, the Tribunal affirmed the reviewable decision, finding that the evidence did not establish that the condition met the criteria for service causation. While the veteran reported a rugby league injury in 1978 involving trauma to his left shoulder, the Tribunal noted that the condition was not diagnosed until 2016 and that there was a lack of evidence explaining the failure to seek timely medical intervention for the initial trauma, which was a requirement under the Statement of Principles. However, concerning the subarachnoid haemorrhage, the Tribunal set aside the previous decision. Applying the *Deledio* methodology, the Tribunal found that the veteran's subarachnoid haemorrhage was war-caused, based on the evidence presented.

Consequently, the Tribunal affirmed the decision in relation to the left shoulder osteoarthritis but set aside the decision concerning the subarachnoid haemorrhage. The matter was remitted to the Repatriation Commission for the assessment of pension entitlements in accordance with the Tribunal's determination that the subarachnoid haemorrhage was war-caused.