Bipolar disorder decisions — 2005

The veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. The Board has remanded the case to obtain clarification of a VA examiner's opinion regarding the onset of the veteran's psychiatric conditions.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders to his active duty service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability. The May 1975 rating decision denying this claim is final.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder, bilateral hearing loss, hepatitis C, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The decision also addressed a claim to reopen his previously denied claim for hepatitis C.

The Board found that the veteran's bipolar disorder did not begin in service or was aggravated by service, and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to notify the veteran of a scheduled VA examination, and for further development including scheduling another examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD) that is related to service. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and bilateral hearing loss are both denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a major affective disorder, depression and/or bipolar disorder, as well as his claims for higher ratings for asthma and an undiagnosed illness manifest by diarrhea. The highest rating available was 30 percent for asthma.

The Board dismissed the motion because the veteran died during the pendency of the case, and thus has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and needs a new examination to determine if bipolar disorder existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as the earliest possible effective date is June 9, 1997 when he filed his application. The Board found that prior to this date, there was no evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities alone precluded him from following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bipolar affective disorder does not constitute an injury and therefore cannot be considered service-connected due to lack of legal merit.

The Board determined that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder, but found no evidence linking any current psychiatric condition to service.

The Board denied service connection for bipolar disorder and eligibility for outpatient dental treatment due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for a bipolar disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bipolar disorder is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including as secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the 5th and 6th cervical vertebrae, finding that any current psychiatric disorders did not originate in service or are otherwise unrelated to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bipolar affective disorder does not warrant a rating in excess of 50 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation based on the severity of symptoms and overall impairment.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a psychiatric disability, including bipolar disorder and depression. The evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and verifying in-service stressors.