BVA decisions by condition
Substance use disorders: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a substance use disorders issue in 980 decisions. It granted the substance use disorders issue in 21.2% of them, close to the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 27.3%, and remanded it in 49.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 43.7% were granted.
Decisions
980
2017–2026
Granted
21.2%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
43.7%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
49.8%
Denied: 27.3%
Substance use disorders outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 79 | 8.9% | 43.0% | 43.0% | 5.1% |
| 2018 | 130 | 13.1% | 30.8% | 52.3% | 3.8% |
| 2019 | 123 | 17.1% | 30.1% | 51.2% | 1.6% |
| 2020 | 95 | 21.1% | 27.4% | 51.6% | 0.0% |
| 2021 | 79 | 20.3% | 34.2% | 40.5% | 5.1% |
| 2022 | 101 | 25.7% | 21.8% | 51.5% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 125 | 20.0% | 20.8% | 56.8% | 2.4% |
| 2024 | 136 | 30.1% | 15.4% | 53.7% | 0.7% |
| 2025 | 126 | 28.6% | 27.8% | 43.7% | 0.0% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied substance use disorders decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the substance use disorders issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 228 | 82.7% | 21.5% | +61.2 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 568 | 67.7% | 15.5% | +52.2 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 159 | 73.8% | 32.9% | +41.0 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 307 | 62.4% | 33.0% | +29.4 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 46 | 70.4% | 42.1% | +28.3 pts |
| Combat service | 91 | 65.6% | 40.5% | +25.1 pts |
| Lay statement | 795 | 44.1% | 41.4% | +2.7 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 74.0% of the decisions that granted substance use disorders.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 40.4% of grants and 11.6% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often substance use disorders was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unfavorable VA exam | 726 | 41.2% | 53.0% | −11.8 pts |
| Negative nexus opinion | 516 | 38.3% | 50.5% | −12.2 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied substance use disorders
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability41
- Current diagnosis established16
- Service connection established8
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability5
- Criteria for service connection met4
- Secondary to PTSD3
- Alcohol use disorder diagnosed3
- Diagnosed with alcohol use disorder2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis24
- Caused by the service-connected disability20
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service18
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim16
- Criteria for service connection not met9
- Current diagnosis established7
- Aggravated by the service-connected disability6
- Not secondary to a service-connected disability5
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent substance use disorders decisions
Granted
Alcohol use disorder found secondary to primary depressive disorder.; Substance abuse not considered willful misconduct when secondary to primary disability.; Evidence does not show direct service connection excluded due to willful misconduct.
Private evaluation diagnosed cannabis use disorder, moderate.; Opined to have started in service and continued to present.; Proximately due to acquired psychiatric disorder.
Private opinion linked polysubstance use disorder to PTSD.; Opinion found disorder at least as likely as not incurred in service.
Denied
Current diagnosis conceded; Service treatment records documented mental health evaluation; VA examiner opined less likely than not related to service
No in-service onset or nexus to service; Evidence persuasively weighs against service connection
Tobacco use disorder not eligible for service connection; No indication of causation/aggravation by primary service-connected disability; Weight of evidence against service connection
Rules that apply to substance use disorders claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your substance use disorders case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a substance use disorders issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.