Bipolar disorder decisions — 2010

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an effective date earlier than October 31, 2005 for service connection of mixed bipolar disorder. The claim was reopened based on new and material evidence submitted in October 2005.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on December 19, 2007, at the Wilson Memorial Hospital in Sidney, Ohio were denied as there was no evidence of an emergent condition that would have necessitated immediate treatment.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for PTSD was granted at a 30 percent rating, effective from June 20, 2000. The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD and bipolar affective disorder are related to his active service, with the conditions worsening due to alcohol abuse during military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% rating for her psychiatric disability, including depression, anxiety reaction, bipolar disorder with posttraumatic stress disorder, was denied as the evidence of record did not show entitlement to this rating prior to May 7, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including depression, bipolar disorder, and dysthymic disorder, was granted. The issue of an increased rating for cold induced urticaria is remanded.

The Board found no evidence of a psychiatric disability during service or within the one-year presumptive period, and concluded that the Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a personality disorder is denied as such disorders are not diseases or injuries. The initial evaluation for bipolar disorder remains at 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need to obtain additional evidence from healthcare providers.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disorder, hepatitis C, and bipolar disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The Veteran's claims were not reopened as the new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims.

The Board is remanding the case to address whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for bipolar disorder, unspecified mania, adjustment reaction with mixed emotion, avoidance trait, and obsessive compulsive disorder. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated after obtaining relevant SSA records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder, finding that his current condition was not causally related to his military service. The reduction of his hearing loss rating from 10% to noncompensable effective December 1, 2009, was found to be proper based on the evidence provided.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with an appropriate VA examination in order to determine if his bipolar disorder is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence and a need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining treatment records from Arbor Circle and considering whether a current VA examination would be necessary. The case will return to the Board for further appellate consideration.

The Veteran's son, J.T., is entitled to recognition as a helpless child due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to his 18th birthday, primarily attributed to mental and developmental disorders.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bipolar disorder with psychotic features was granted, as his informal claim dated October 19, 1994, is considered the earliest assignable date.

The Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board grants entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bipolar disorder were denied as there is no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis or etiology. The claim for TDIU was also denied due to the absence of a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted a 100 percent rating for bipolar disorder, severe with mood-congruent psychotic features, effective from the date of the decision.