Q: I was in an auto accident and I’m still recovering. I’m active duty and have a doctors note to be out.

A: You should confer with your commanding officer and or the Legal Office, or a military law specialist. It sounds like you need a "Line of Duty" determination. An LOD determination may impact disability retirement and severance pay, forfeiture of pay, extension of enlistment, and veteran benefits. armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN33106-AR_600-8-4-001-WEB-2.pdf Other branches have similar procedures.

Depending on the outcome of this determination, you can lose or have disability retirement and severance pay or have it reduced if a injury occurred due to his or her own misconduct; you can lose pay for the period of time you are absent from military duty; any time in which you are unable to work could be "bad time" and can extend your enlistment period; your veteran benefits may be impacted negatively; your surviving family members may not be eligible for the Survivor Benefit Plan and/or may no longer be eligible for basic educational assistance death benefits.

A: If the accident was not your fault, or not entirely your fault, you may have legal claims against the other driver. Consult with a personal injury attorney to discuss. This person is not likely going to be able to assist in the LOD determination, as those are vastly different specialties of law.

A: This sounds like a question for a lawyer who deals with Military matters, not PI for nonmilitary.............

if you were injured and not at fault, contact a local PI lawyer.

A: As an active duty service member in California, you are entitled to certain rights and protections under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and other federal laws. These laws prohibit discrimination against service members in employment and protect their rights to take leave for military service and to be reemployed after their service.

If you have a doctor's note and have informed your leadership about your condition, you should be protected from disciplinary action for being absent from duty due to your injury. However, it is important to communicate regularly with your leadership and keep them updated on your recovery status, expected return date, and any changes in your condition.

If you experience any issues or concerns regarding your rights as a service member or your employment status, you can reach out to your installation's legal assistance office or the military's equal opportunity office for guidance and assistance.