Bipolar disorder decisions — 2013

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including chronic depression and bipolar disorder, did not develop during service or within one year of separation. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran had an acquired psychiatric disorder prior to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder was reopened and granted effective February 4, 2005.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder contributed substantially or materially to cause his death, resulting in a grant of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with verifying a claimed in-service stressor and obtaining relevant medical records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, will be reconsidered after additional development.

The Veteran's dysthymic disorder with bipolar disorder was assigned a 100 percent disability rating effective November 5, 2004. The Board found that the criteria for a 100 percent evaluation were met as of February 18, 2004, and thus an earlier effective date of February 18, 2004 is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, was incurred during his military service. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether this condition was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and possibly schedule a hearing. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains under review.

The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities was denied as there is no competent evidence of a connection between the conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disorders.

The Board has expanded the claim to include all psychiatric disabilities and is remanding for further development, including obtaining additional stressor verification, VA mental health treatment records, and SSA disability decision records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, cannot be reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The rating for his low back disability remains denied as there is no evidence showing a higher rating is warranted based on current symptoms. Additionally, the TDIU claim has also been denied.

The Veteran claims service connection for multiple disabilities including bipolar disorder, a low back disability, and hepatitis C. The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and incomplete medical records.,The Veteran claims service connection for a low back disability and residuals of a right arm fracture. The Board has also remanded these issues due to inadequate examination reports and incomplete medical records.,The Veteran claims service connection for hepatitis C, which he alleges was caused by inoculations during active duty. The Board has also remanded this issue due to inadequate examination reports and incomplete medical records.,The Veteran claims service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, which he alleges is related to his hepatitis C infection. The Board has also remanded this issue due to inadequate examination reports and incomplete medical records.

The Board found no evidence of a psychiatric disorder in service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that any such disability had preexisted service and was not permanently aggravated.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including macules on the tongue, chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic sinusitis, a heart disability, hypertension, carpal tunnel syndromes, bilateral pes planus, and psychiatric disabilities. The decision found no current disabilities or evidence of in-service incurrence.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of a chronic condition having causal origins in active service. The Veteran's claim was remanded multiple times but ultimately denied.

The Veteran's appeal of a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn. The issues of entitlement to an increased disability evaluation for service-connected bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and TDIU remain before the Board.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and PTSD, is being remanded due to the inadequate April 2010 VA opinion. The case will be further adjudicated after obtaining a new VA examination.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to her service-connected disabilities, and the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions prevent her from securing and following substantially gainful employment.