Bipolar disorder decisions — 2018

The Board previously denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) has ordered a remand due to unclear reasoning in the previous decision and issues regarding aggravation.

The Board has decided that an additional VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran meets the criteria for PTSD and whether any diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to service. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and depression, has been reopened. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. Additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his psychiatric disorders and right shoulder/arm disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of his Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder with acute manic episodes was evaluated at a 70 percent rating, but the Board found that total occupational and social impairment had not been demonstrated. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder resulted in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, warranting a 70 percent rating. The left knee disability did not meet the criteria for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to September 20, 2013, but met the criteria for a 100 percent rating from that date until September 20, 2014. Since then, it has met the criteria for a 60 percent rating. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since August 12, 2011, and his bipolar disorder alone since August 31, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability and a mood disorder on the bipolar spectrum, finding that both conditions are attributable to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and pathological gambling disorder, has been reopened. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to his military service.,Service connection has also been granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, with the evidence showing a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's active duty.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains for adjudicating the merits of this case.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records of mental health treatment provided to the Veteran in 1983 and providing a medical opinion on whether bipolar disorder is causally connected to active service.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder is rated at 70 percent since June 1, 2012. The Board has granted TDIU effective February 15, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as bipolar affective disorder, cannot be reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including adjudicating a claim of CUE in an August 1977 rating decision and considering whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the service connection claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to outstanding treatment records and other issues. The Veteran's request for service connection for any acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression, as well as his claim for TDIU, are pending.

The Veteran's stepson, A.M., was not permanently incapable of self-support at the age of eighteen due to mental or physical defects. The evidence does not support a finding that A.M. had a mental defect prior to his eighteenth birthday.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically Bipolar Disorder, is found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, bipolar disorder and PTSD, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and a new opinion regarding the relationship between his current disorders and in-service stressors.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his own willful misconduct, and at the time of his death he was in receipt of compensation for service-connected disability that was continuously rated totally disabling for a period of less than 10 years prior to his death. Therefore, the legal requirements for establishing entitlement to DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are not met.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and attention deficit disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development.