If you are a service member covered under a Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program, then you also have access to Traumatic Injury Protection under SGLI (TSGLI) and may be able to make a TSGLI claim in the event of a traumatic injury.

What is TSGLI?

Essentially, Traumatic Injury Protection under SGLI provides servicemembers who are severely injured as a result of a traumatic event with additional insurance protection. The protection applies regardless of whether the traumatic event occurred on duty. Severe injuries like those covered by a TSGLI claim can often include a long treatment and recovery period, which often gets very expensive, very quickly.

TSGLI payments are made in lump sums, and are tax-free. They start at $25,000, but can range up to a maximum payment of $100,000. The payment amounts are dependent on the service member’s qualifying loss.

Who is Eligible for TSGLI?

Servicemembers eligible for TSGLI include:

• Active duty members
• Reservists
• National Guard members
• Funeral honors duty
• One-day muster duty

Servicemembers have to meet a few main criteria to be eligible to make a TSGLI claim:

• First, they must be covered under SGLI—in any amount
• They must have suffered a traumatic injury (on or off the job) that leads to a qualifying loss
• They must have suffered the loss within 730 days (that is, within 2 years) from the date the traumatic event occurred
• They must have survived seven days from a traumatic event.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outlines a list of TSGLI claim examples and the corresponding payment amounts that servicemembers could receive. For instance, the loss of sight (caused by a traumatic event) which is either total and permanent or has lasted 120 days is connected with a $50,000 payment, per affected eye. Amputation of a big toe is linked with a $25,000 payment, and a coma that lasts longer than 14 days is a $25,000 payment, plus an additional $25,000 each 15 days thereafter up to $100,000 total.

The full list of potential TSGLI payments can be found on the VA’s TSGLI Schedule of Losses.

Certain conditions are excluded from TSGLI, including:

• those caused by a mental disorder or a mental or physical illness
• those caused by a routine medical or surgical treatment
• those sustained while committing a felony (or attempting to commit one)
• those that were self-inflicted
• those sustained while attempting suicide
• those sustained with the use of an illegal substance

Unfortunately, many servicemembers who have been injured in a traumatic event and are covered under an SGLI program may be unaware of the payments they’re entitled to through filing a TSGLI claim.

Can I File a TSGLI Claim?

If you are a service member who has been injured because of a traumatic event, either on or off duty, you may be able to file a TSGLI claim. Consulting an experienced attorney can help you determine if you are eligible to make a claim, navigate the complexities of the claims process, and maximize your potential payout.

Get Help Filing Your TSGLI Claim

If you’re a servicemember who was injured while on active duty, in the National Guard or on reserve, you may qualify for benefits through the Traumatic Protection Program through the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance.

Fill out the form on this page for more information. 

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