The Board granted a 70 percent rating for somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain, persistent with alcohol use disorder, mild, effective October 9, 2019.
The deciding factor: The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximate those required for a 70 percent rating than a 100 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain, persistent with alcohol use disorder, mild
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25037782
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 Board denied a compensable rating for the service-connected tenia pedis and onychomycosis bilateral feet, denied earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection, and remanded several claims for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for somatic symptom disorder with predominant pain, as the request was not timely filed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.