Bipolar disorder decisions — 2023

The Board dismissed the appeals for bipolar disorder and gastroenteritis due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the combined effects of all service-connected disabilities in determining whether the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability other than PTSD (bipolar disorder) was denied. A rating of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is granted effective July 15, 2014. The claims for increased ratings for right lower extremity radiculopathy prior to October 28, 2016 and from that date are both denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of noise exposure or injury during periods of active duty. The appellant's current disabilities are not related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for an acquired psychiatric disability, as there is no credible evidence showing that the disorder had its onset during a period of active duty. The appellant did not have any treatment for such conditions in service.

The Board has remanded the claims of whether new and material evidence was submitted for service connection for bipolar disorder, PTSD with alcohol dependency, bilateral hearing loss, sleep problems and nightmares, and tension headaches. The appeal is being returned to the AOJ for readjudication.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C, chronic kidney disease, liver condition (claimed as cirrhosis and liver cancer), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as bipolar disorder and depression) due to insufficient evidence addressing the service separation examination.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from July 31, 2014 to July 24, 2016 and November 15, 2017 to March 30, 2018 due to her service-connected disabilities preventing her from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his claim for sleep apnea and increased ratings for various conditions. The Veteran will need to undergo additional examinations to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with bipolar II disorder is granted a 70 percent disability rating, but no higher. The other service-connected conditions are denied.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating, but no higher. The Board also remanded the claims for increased rating of bipolar II disorder and TDIU due to insufficient development.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the merits of the Veteran's claims, including those related to service connection for various conditions. The case is therefore being remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disability, right knee disability, and left foot disability have been granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected low back disability.,Service connection has also been granted for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and Bipolar Disorder) and hypertension. However, these issues are remanded due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board found that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the severity of his symptoms. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has remanded both respiratory disorder and psychiatric disorder issues to obtain additional evidence and opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions in a previous VA examination. The Veteran and his spouse have provided evidence suggesting that the current sleep apnea may be related to service-connected psychiatric disability, migraine headache disability, or obesity caused by the service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder was previously denied, but new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board is remanding the case to determine if his psychiatric disorders are related to service or pre-existed service.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those for service connection for bipolar disorder, increased evaluations for thoracolumbar strain and migraine headaches, and entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of the Veteran's left knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depressive disorder, bipolar disorder), and left ear hearing loss for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle disability, to include arthritis. The remaining issues of service connection for lumbar spine disability, left shoulder strain, and psychiatric disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records, particularly those from the Veteran's incarceration and a psychiatric hospitalization in August 2015. The Veteran is asked to provide releases for these records.