The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left thumb condition was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to his military service.,Service connection for drug and alcohol abuse was denied as it is considered willful misconduct. The Veteran's anxiety disorder claim has been reopened.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide sufficient new and material evidence to link his left thumb condition or drug and alcohol abuse to his military service.,The Veteran's anxiety disorder was diagnosed in July 2014, providing a basis for reopening the claim. The VA psychologist concluded that the mood disorder is more likely than not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Thumb Condition, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Anxiety Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18137095
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 18137095.
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 Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 2024 rating decision because the March 2024 rating decision was an initial decision granting service connection for anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and service connection for IBS as secondary to anxiety disorder is granted. Service connection for non-Hodgkin lymphoma is denied due to lack of presumptive basis. Service connection for CHF with bradycardia and pacemaker as secondary to hypertension is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected major depression and anxiety disorder are considered part of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy, which already qualifies him for SMC(l). Therefore, he is not eligible for a higher rate of SMC.
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