Bipolar disorder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his claim for bipolar disorder and the issues of COPD, hypertension, left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and left elbow disability are being remanded due to procedural errors.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder is rated at 100% and he is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance. The Board denied the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder is granted an initial 70 percent rating effective August 26, 2020. The earlier effective dates for the increased rating and TDIU are also granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the lack of private psychiatric treatment records, which may affect his claim for a higher rating and related benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist, including failure to verify the Veteran's reported stressors and obtain a VA examination. The case will be further developed to address these issues.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied as there is not sufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities prior to February 26, 2020.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and/or unspecified bipolar disorder due to a lack of adequate medical opinions addressing the etiology of his conditions. The case is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including MDD, anxiety, unspecified anxiety disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and cannabis use disorder, are found to have started during his active service and continue since. Service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for separate disability ratings for posttraumatic stress disorder and bipolar I disorder, finding that awarding a separate rating would constitute impermissible pyramiding.

The Veteran's schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type was granted a disability rating of 70 percent effective August 24, 1998. The claim for individual unemployability (TDIU) is also granted with an effective date of August 24, 1998.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, finding that the Veteran's current psychiatric symptoms and signs of psychosocial impairment are related to military service, specifically her sexual assault during service. The appeal is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in decision-making and insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's psychiatric disorders, their relationship to his military service, and whether they contributed to his cause of death. The case will be reviewed again with a focus on these issues.

The Board has granted effective dates of June 30, 2016 for the assignment of a 70 percent rating for bipolar disorder and for the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent rating for bipolar disorder was denied as the increase in disability did not occur prior to February 5, 2019.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC based on housebound status was also denied as she was not found to be housebound in fact due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 20, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bipolar disorder has been dismissed as the December 2021 appeal is under the Evidence Submission docket, and the July 2022 Notice of Disagreement appeal is more advantageous to the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the AOJ's failure to obtain an adequate medical opinion constitutes a pre-decisional duty to assist error and remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, and alcohol abuse disorder.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, but no higher. The finger injury claim was denied. Other service connection claims were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bipolar II disorder with unspecified neurocognitive disorder with traumatic brain injury is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has decided that there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, are related to his military service. The case is being remanded for further investigation and examination.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to incomplete income information. The AOJ needs to obtain IRS tax returns for the years of 2016 and 2017, which may be requested using a Form 4506-T.