The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and depressive disorder are granted secondary to his substance abuse disorder, with a rating of 70 percent effective February 27, 2019. The appeal for an earlier effective date is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that the Veteran's substance abuse disorder was caused by his service-connected PTSD and depressive disorder, meeting the criteria for secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- substance abuse disorder, PTSD and depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 29, 2026
- Citation
- A26008780
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 A26008780.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection of substance abuse disorder is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his condition was caused by or related to active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to a procedural defect involving concurrent elections of review options.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and denied service connection for a lower back disorder. The claims for depression, substance abuse disorder, and a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were dismissed.
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