Bipolar disorder decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that new and material evidence had not been received. The Veteran was previously denied because the evidence did not show that his pre-existing psychiatric condition was aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied service connection for major depressive disorder and bipolar personality disorder, finding no evidence of a nexus to service or any other condition.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder, status post right lumbar surgery with post voiding leakage, and other service-connected conditions are all denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating for any of these disabilities.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder with anxiety is related to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board grants this claim.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a disability incurred or aggravated in service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, depression, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of evidence and need for further examination.

The claims for increased ratings for the Veteran's service-connected bipolar I disorder and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including review of recent medical records and an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for generalized anxiety disorder is being remanded due to the need for updated records and a VA examination. The issue of total disability based on individual unemployability is also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bipolar disorder and PTSD due to a lack of representation, and because further examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bipolar disorder. The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing private treatment records and a need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, and/or anxiety; for erectile dysfunction as secondary to his psychiatric disorders; and for TDIU are being remanded due to the need for a statement of the case.

The Veteran's migraines have been granted an increased rating to 50 percent, effective from the date of his claim. The TBI and PTSD ratings remain unchanged.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and bipolar disorder, has been reopened. The case is remanded due to the need to obtain private treatment records and conduct a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and diffuse granulomata of lungs, calcified, inactive and asymptomatic due to new evidence received since the final denial. The claims are now remanded for further development.

The Board has dismissed the claim of service connection for a lower back disability due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The remaining issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, are related to his service. The examiner is asked to consider whether the reported stressor during basic training caused PTSD and to provide a rationale for any opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bipolar disorder was denied, and the Board granted a 70% disability rating effective from August 16, 2017. The Veteran's PTSD claim is being remanded.,A new and material issue has been identified in connection with the PTSD claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, psychosis, and bipolar disorder. The case is being returned to VA for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and attempting to corroborate in-service stressors.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to clarify the nature and etiology of the Veteran's nonservice-connected psychiatric disorders, their relationship to his military service or a service-connected disability, and whether any contributed to his cause of death.