The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for alcohol abuse secondary to his post-traumatic stress disorder and a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 11, 1990.
The deciding factor: The December 1989 Board decision denying the veteran's claim of an earlier effective date was final, and the February 1995 Board decision denying a clear and unmistakable error in that decision is res judicata with respect to this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- alcohol abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2000
- Citation
- 0008054
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0008054.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and alcohol abuse as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder for further development, including obtaining medical opinions on the etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all claims for service connection and a compensable disability rating due to the failure of the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) to properly obtain relevant private medical records prior to making a decision on appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder to provide her with another opportunity to attend a new VA mental health examination.
- Granted
The Board grants the appeal in full, granting service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
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