The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD with alcohol dependence is granted.,The earlier effective date claim for service connection of PTSD with alcohol dependence prior to February 15, 2011 is legally insufficient and dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted based on his inability to secure or follow gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: PTSD with alcohol dependence results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood.,The freestanding claim for an earlier effective date is legally insufficient and dismissed due to the Veteran's failure to meet legal requirements.,For the entire rating period, the Veteran has been unable to secure or follow gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Alcohol Dependence
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- March 7, 2018
- Citation
- 1814159
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 1814159.
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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