The Veteran's PTSD is service-connected and rated at 70 percent. The Board found that his alcohol abuse disorder was not related to his military service or his service-connected PTSD, and denied the claim for an increased rating for left thigh and left foot pruritic fungus. The right buttock shell fragment wound with retained foreign body and scar of right frontal scalp shell fragment wound were also rated as appropriate.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's alcohol abuse disorder was not found to be related to his military service or his service-connected PTSD, thus failing the secondary service connection criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Alcohol Abuse Disorder, Erectile Dysfunction (ED), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Left Thigh and Left Foot Pruritic Fungus, Right Buttock Shell Fragment Wound with Retained Foreign Body, Scar of Right Frontal Scalp Shell Fragment Wound
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- June 16, 2017
- Citation
- 1722515
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 1722515.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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