The Veteran's liver disability is not related to his service-connected PTSD, but rather due to long-standing alcohol abuse. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: There is no clear medical evidence establishing that the Veteran's longstanding alcohol abuse was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- end stage liver disease, alcohol abuse, status post liver transplant
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2015
- Citation
- 1516323
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 1516323.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol abuse, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol abuse and drug abuse, as well as a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and substance abuse disorders.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for alcohol and drug abuse, to include as secondary to mental health due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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