The Board has reopened the claim and granted service connection for alcohol dependency as a direct result of voluntary and willful drinking in excess during service. However, service connection is not allowed because it would be precluded by law due to the Veteran's own abuse of alcohol.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be established on a direct basis for a disability that results from a claimant’s abuse of alcohol or drugs if the claim was filed after October 31, 1990. The Veteran's claim was filed after this date and his alcohol dependency is considered a primary alcohol abuse disability.
- Claimed conditions
- alcohol dependency, alcoholism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2018
- Citation
- 18124167
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 18124167.
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 Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's alcoholism is secondary to his service-connected adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's motion to revise an August 2009 rating decision denying service connection for alcoholism (also claimed as depression) on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE), finding no CUE in the original decision.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various psychiatric conditions, including substance abuse condition, alcoholism, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and severe depression.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require care or assistance from another person on a regular basis to protect him from hazards and dangers incident to his daily environment, which has been determined based on the evidence of record. As such, the claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance is granted.
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