Bipolar disorder decisions — 2000

The Board found that the veteran's bipolar disorder is not related to service, and denied his claim for increased rating of left shoulder disability. The case was remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of bipolar disorder as secondary to his service-connected psychophysiological cardiovascular reaction with hypertension and an increased rating for his service-connected psychophysiological cardiovascular reaction with hypertension.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bipolar disorder, which was previously denied. The reopened claim is now evaluated on its merits.

The Board has determined that the earliest date as of which it is ascertainable that the veteran's bipolar disorder increased in severity was July 18, 1989. The effective date for a 100% evaluation for bipolar disorder is set at October 1, 1979.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the veteran's claim for an extension of his delimiting date for educational assistance benefits due to a lack of evidence showing he was prevented from pursuing education from 1979 to 1984 because of a physical or mental disability.

The veteran's cause of death was due to his service-connected bipolar disorder, which contributed substantially to his death. The Board found that the veteran's running inappropriately because of his disability may have been a factor in the accident that caused his death.

The veteran's bipolar disorder is well-controlled on medication, and he has been employed full-time for two and a half years. The Board finds that the current level of impairment does not warrant a rating greater than 10 percent.

The VA denied service connection for bipolar disorder and major depression, finding that the conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for a mood disorder on a direct basis was dismissed due to withdrawal. The claim of secondary service connection for a mood disorder as related to his service-connected postoperative duodenal ulcer was denied as not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected bipolar disorder and also denied his application to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a low back disability.

The veteran's claim for helpless child benefits was denied in October 1982 and February 1994. The case was reopened in November 1997 with new medical evidence, leading to a grant of the benefit effective from November 20, 1997.

The VA determined that the veteran's psychiatric disability, bipolar disorder with history of schizophrenic reaction, is currently evaluated at a 30 percent rating and does not warrant an increased evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder with tachycardia was not well-grounded due to a lack of competent medical evidence showing aggravation of his pre-existing psychiatric condition during military service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise, and therefore grants service connection for bipolar disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bipolar disorder warrants a 70 percent disability rating, reflecting significant occupational and social impairment.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation was granted on January 31, 1996 with a 100% disability rating effective from that date. The Board found it not factually ascertainable that the veteran was entitled to earlier effective dates.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bipolar disorder and finds that it is well-grounded. The evidence links the current diagnosis of bipolar disorder to events experienced by the appellant during his military service, thus granting the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bipolar disorder was aggravated during active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has found the claims for compensation for PTSD and service connection for bipolar disorder to be well grounded. The RO is instructed to review these claims based on all of the evidence now of record, including VA outpatient treatment records from 1994 onwards and counseling records from a local veterans center.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's PTSD does not warrant a rating higher than 50 percent, as it results in considerable industrial impairment.