The Veteran's appeal for service connection of hypertension was dismissed. The claim for an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder prior to August 27, 2020 is granted. The claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder beginning on August 27, 2020 is denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of hypertension and declined the VA examination scheduled to determine the current severity of his PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Alcohol Use Disorder, Bipolar Disorder I
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21073197
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 21073197.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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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