The Veteran's service connection claim for alcohol use disorder was denied. From May 30, 2012 to March 1, 2017, the Veteran received a 50% rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. Beginning March 1, 2017, he received a 70% rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of alcohol use disorder and failed to show that it was related to service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Alcohol Use Disorder, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- August 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19163038
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 19163038.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol and cocaine use disorder was granted an increased initial rating of 100 percent, the schedular maximum. The claim for an earlier effective date prior to August 24, 2023 for the now-assigned 100 percent rating for PTSD was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and multiple musculoskeletal conditions but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD from September 19, 2016, to May 30, 2019, and from August 1, 2019.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right shoulder disability, a right knee disability, and headaches due to insufficient evidence.
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