Bipolar disorder decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder was reopened due to new and material evidence. The Board found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including bipolar disorder, manifested during military service and granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, tinnitus, cervical spine injury, lumbar spine condition, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, heart condition, prostate condition, left foot condition, right foot condition, and seizure disorder. The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and other specific trauma and stressor-related disorder are granted. Service connection is also established for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right leg disability, cellulitis, telangiectasia, photoaging, sebaceous hyperplasia, actinic keratosis, and herpes. An effective date earlier than July 22, 2015 for left lower leg laceration with infection and drainage is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability has been reopened, but the Board finds that additional development is needed before a decision can be made on this issue. The remaining issues of increased ratings and TDIU are also remanded.

The Veteran seeks service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, which he contends may be secondary to his service-connected TBI. The Board finds that the medical opinions of record are not legally sufficient to make a decision on this appeal and requires additional development.

The Veteran's service connection claims for multiple sclerosis, depressive disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorders (other than lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylosis), right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and bipolar disorder have been granted. The issues of service connection for other lumbar spine disorders are remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim for recognition of A.B. as the helpless child of the Veteran on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 due to bipolar disorder, and granted this claim.

The appeals for service connection for eczema, increased ratings for limitation of right knee and semilunar impairment, and earlier effective dates for assignment of the right knee ratings are dismissed. Service connection is granted for Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, and bipolar disorder.

The Veteran's cause of death was determined to be acute upper gastrointestinal bleed due to duodenal ulcer, with hypertensive cardiovascular disease found to be a likely contributing condition. The service-connected bipolar disorder did not cause or substantially contribute to his death.,The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 was denied as the Veteran was not continuously rated totally disabled for at least 10 years immediately preceding his death.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for bipolar disorder with PTSD was denied. The appeal is not about service connection, so there is no discussion of exposure basis or presumption. Service connection for bipolar disorder was initially granted and later confirmed.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are found to be related to his military service and granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep condition is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for high blood pressure is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for high cholesterol is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of bipolar disorder is granted and the effective date is July 12, 2013.

The Board granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, including bipolar disorder. The decision was based on new and material evidence that reopened his original claim.

The Board has granted the reopening of the DIC claim based on new evidence, but denied the service connection for the cause of death due to lack of a diagnosis of PTSD and no causal link between service-connected conditions and the Veteran's suicide.

The Board denied service connection for bronchitis, irregular menstruation and uterine fibroids, and bipolar disorder. The Veteran did not have current diagnoses of these conditions, and the evidence did not support a finding that they were related to her military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during service and are related to an incident of military sexual trauma. The presumption of soundness is not rebutted due to lack of documentation of any psychiatric disorders at entry into service.

The Veteran's death was caused by septic shock, acute colitis, antibiotic administration and left bipolar hemiarthroplasty. The Board found no evidence of VA fault in the care provided.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, due to insufficient evidence linking her current conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including an examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's psychiatric conditions. The appeal is related to service connection for acquired psychiatric disorders, which may include PTSD.