The appeal for a disability rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD with alcohol dependence prior to January 4, 2017 is remanded due to lack of substantial compliance with the Board's October 2021 remand. The VA examiner should consider an SSA evaluation from December 2015 and provide an addendum opinion.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider all pertinent evidence, including the SSA evaluations from December 2015.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 29, 2022
- Citation
- 22018411
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 22018411.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol dependence were denied due to failure to report for VA examinations. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's chloracne and PTSD with alcohol dependence are granted as service connected due to exposure to Agent Orange. The acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and major depressive disorder, is denied. Service connection for a back disability and neck disability is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD with alcohol dependence, and peripheral vascular disease, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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