The appeal for service connection for sleep disorder is dismissed, and the Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and lower back strain are denied. The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD.

The deciding factor: The severity of the Veteran's PTSD most closely approximated occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas during the period on appeal, which warranted a 70 percent rating.

Claimed conditions

sleep disorder, alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cervical strain, lower back strain, left knee chondromalacia, right knee chondromalacia, right shoulder strain

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

70%

Decision date

November 24, 2025

Citation

A25101790

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine