Cut, stab, abrasion and laceration

Cut, stab, abrasion and laceration — DVA SoP factors

Every factor in the Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles for Cut, stab, abrasion and laceration. DVA can only accept a claim for Cut, stab, abrasion and laceration if at least one of these factors is met and connected to your service. Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) applies to operational service; Balance of Probabilities (BoP) applies to peacetime service.

Source: Repatriation Medical Authority Statements of Principles as held by the Veterans Health Centre. SoPs are amended and replaced regularly; always confirm the current instrument at rma.gov.au before relying on it.

RH No. 37 of 2025 · BoP No. 38 of 20254 factors

Meaning of cut, stab, abrasion and laceration: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, cut, stab, abrasion and laceration: (a) means an injury that interrupts the continuity of the epidermis or other external or exposed tissue and causes a wound. The wound may or may not penetrate to the subcutaneous tissues and underlying structures; and (b) includes friction burns and needlestick injury; and (c) excludes wounds that were caused by: (i) burns other than friction burns; (ii) dental abrasion; (iii) explosive device or fragment thereof; (iv) gunshot; (v) missile; or (vi) traumatic contusion or haematoma;

Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 37 of 2025

At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting cut, stab, abrasion and laceration or death from cut, stab, abrasion and laceration with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
having direct physical trauma to the affected site at the time of the cut, stab, abrasion or laceration;
Note: Examples of friction burns (a type of abrasion) include those from sliding down ropes, motorcycle or bicycle accidents and a common type of stab wound is a needlestick injury.
(2)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for cut, stab, abrasion or laceration before clinical worsening;

Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsection 9(2) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.

Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 38 of 2025

2 factors

At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, cut, stab, abrasion and laceration or death from cut, stab, abrasion and laceration is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:

(1)
having direct physical trauma to the affected site at the time of the cut, stab, abrasion or laceration;
Note: Examples of friction burns (a type of abrasion) include those from sliding down ropes, motorcycle or bicycle accidents and a common type of stab wound is a needlestick injury.
(2)
inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for cut, stab, abrasion or laceration before clinical worsening;

Accepted — what is it worth?

A Statement of Principles decides one thing only: whether DVA accepts liability for cut, stab, abrasion and laceration. It says nothing about how much you are paid. Compensation is worked out separately, from impairment points under the GARP — so a condition can be accepted and still rate few points, or rate more than you expect once it is combined with everything else on your file.

Cut, stab, abrasion or laceration may be accepted without proving the link to service

Cut, stab, abrasion or laceration is listed in Part 2 of the determination as attributable to defence service, provided the criteria below are met.

Qualifying service: Any defence service.
Onset: during the qualifying service.

A diagnosis is still required, and the presumption may not apply where there is clear evidence of a cause other than service. "Onset" means when an injury was sustained, or when all the signs and symptoms of a disease were first present — not the date of diagnosis. Applies to claims made on or after 1 July 2026.