The Board has granted service connection for a substance abuse disorder, to include alcohol and cocaine abuse, as secondary to the service-connected PTSD. The lung disorder issue is pending further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established based on the Veteran's diagnosed substance abuse disorder being proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Substance Abuse Disorder (including alcohol and cocaine abuse), Lung Disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2014
- Citation
- 1426605
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 1426605.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the issue of service connection for a lung disorder is remanded due to lack of exposure documentation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a respiratory disorder due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives and the need for further development, including a VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder, finding that there is no persuasive evidence of asbestos exposure or any related condition during his military service and concluding that COPD resulted from long-term smoking rather than asbestos exposure.
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