The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression was granted with an initial rating of 50 percent effective February 23, 2005. The Veteran is seeking a higher initial rating and earlier effective date.
The deciding factor: Service connection for depression was established as secondary to the service-connected depression.
- Claimed conditions
- alcohol abuse, infectious hepatitis with cirrhosis of the liver
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- September 10, 2015
- Citation
- 1538749
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 1538749.
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.
- 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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