The Board has determined that the veteran's alcoholism is not service-connected as it was caused by his own willful misconduct, including abuse of alcohol. The acquired psychiatric disability is not related to service and thus cannot be secondary to the alcoholism.
The deciding factor: Service connection for alcoholism is denied because it resulted from the veteran's own willful misconduct (abuse of alcohol).
- Claimed conditions
- Alcoholism, Acquired Psychiatric Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2006
- Citation
- 0610374
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 claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial increased rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, effective from the date of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for hypertension is dismissed as the claim has been fully granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, fatigue, and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
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