Bipolar disorder decisions — 2008

The Board granted an effective date of August 28, 2000 for the grant of service connection for bipolar disorder with a 100 percent rating and basic eligibility to DEA benefits.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include depression and bipolar disorder, as it was not related to a disease or injury during active service and is not due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for a variously diagnosed psychiatric disability, to include bipolar disorder, as the evidence did not show that the veteran's preexisting anxiety reaction, severe with depression, and incipient schizophrenia were aggravated by his active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury, left knee disability, left elbow disability, and psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and PTSD.

The Board concluded that PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied the claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and a bipolar disorder with dysthymia.

The Board finds that the veteran's bipolar disorder is a subsequent manifestation of the major depressive disorder he was diagnosed with during service, and grants service connection for bipolar disorder.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's bipolar disorder is related to service.

The Board remands the claim for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and potentially a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board denied service connection for the various disabilities claimed, as there was no evidence of a relationship between any of these conditions and the veteran's period of active duty.

The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the November 27, 1985 rating decision which denied service connection for a nervous condition, to include bipolar affective disorder and mixed personality disorder with immature features.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and bipolar disorder, as there was no credible evidence of in-service stressors or a link between the veteran's claimed in-service assaults and his current mental health conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for his bipolar disorder, as the evidence did not show occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bipolar disorder is being remanded to schedule a VA examination.

The Board granted an effective date of July 1, 1998 for the payment of DIC compensation for service connection for cause of the veteran's death based on the appellant being a 'Nehmer class member' and the special effective date provisions under 38 C.F.R. § 3.816.

The May 20, 1983 rating decision that granted a 70 percent schedular evaluation for bipolar disorder was not found to contain clear and unmistakable error.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbosacral spine disorder, finding that the veteran's current low back disorders are not related to military service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for bipolar disorder was denied as there is no evidence of an informal claim prior to October 5, 2000.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder, benign essential tremors, a skin rash, and Gulf War syndrome were denied as the conditions are not attributable to her active military service.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's bipolar disorder is related to his active service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, currently characterized as bipolar disorder, was granted based on the evidence showing that his initial manifestation of the disorder occurred during service.