The Veteran's nonservice-connected pension claim is denied as he does not meet the requirements for a pension due to his alcohol and cocaine dependence, which are considered willful misconduct.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been shown to have alcohol and cocaine dependence, which are found to be due to his own willful misconduct.
- Claimed conditions
- Alcohol Dependence, Cocaine Dependence, Resolved Dermatophytosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18128022
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18128022.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating based on his symptoms, which were considered to be consistent with a 50 percent disability rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD prior to August 15, 2022 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to August 15, 2022 was also denied. The Board determined that there was no evidence of occupational and social impairment due to PTSD.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, depressive disorder and alcohol dependence. The Veteran's symptoms have been linked to a motor vehicle accident during service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol dependence resulted in total social and occupational impairment, warranting a 100% disability rating from January 7, 2019.
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