The veteran's claim for service connection for alcoholism was denied because it is a substance abuse disability and direct service connection is precluded by law.
The deciding factor: Alcoholism, being a result of the veteran's own abuse of alcohol, cannot be granted service connection under the applicable laws as his claim was filed after October 31, 1990.
- Claimed conditions
- alcoholism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2008
- Citation
- 0815716
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 service connection claim for alcoholism as it requires a new opinion to address whether clear and unmistakable evidence demonstrates that the Veteran's alcohol use disorder both pre-existed his active military service and was not aggravated during service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the application to reopen claims for service connection for alcoholism and psychiatric disability, but remanded the matter of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Granted
The Board found that the veteran's Notice of Disagreement (NOD) to the August 2013 rating decision was timely filed, granting the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for peptic ulcer disease, left leg disability, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperplastic colon polyp were dismissed. Claims for right ankle disability, seizure disorder, emphysema, bunion, GERD, and alcoholism were granted but remanded for further review. The claim for abnormal liver function was denied.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.