Bipolar disorder decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, specifically bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. The VA must provide an adequate medical opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale provided by VA examiners regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bipolar II disorder, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, and other specified personality disorder-cluster B features.

The Veteran's service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and bipolar disorder has been granted with effective dates of December 9, 2014. The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition claimed as anxiety and bipolar disorder with mania, insomnia, a left foot injury, and a left shoulder condition. The evidence does not support the claim that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board dismissed the matter of service connection for dental trauma. Service connection was granted for a psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, right knee disability, skin condition, gastritis, and occipital laceration.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for bipolar disorder as secondary to service-connected major depressive disorder due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's TDIU and SMC were granted effective December 30, 2014. The effective date for the PTSD rating was changed from January 28, 2015 to July 15, 2014 due to a CUE in the previous decision.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations for bipolar II disorder with rapid cycling and tinnitus have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 21, 2017, for a 10 percent rating for a painful scar on her right knee is granted.,The Veteran's request for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for the painful scar associated with her total knee replacement surgery is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 9, 2007, for TDIU and DEA benefits is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar II disorder, finding that the evidence is in relative equipoise regarding the relationship to active-duty service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 13, 2009 for the grant of service connection for unspecified bipolar disorder is granted. The appeal regarding the earlier effective date for pseudofolliculitis barbae is dismissed as it was a freestanding claim and not part of the main appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder with depression, finding that the Veteran's symptoms manifested to a compensable degree within one year of his discharge from active duty.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder with major depression caused total occupational and social impairment from June 22, 2016 to April 22, 2021. Effective June 22, 2016, the Veteran is granted a 100% disability rating for his service-connected bipolar disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 100 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder with insomnia disorder and residuals of traumatic brain injury (previously rated as organic brain syndrome) is being remanded due to incomplete evidence in the claims file.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, previously claimed as depression and bipolar disorder, have been dismissed due to the procedural history indicating a final denial of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability and special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance of another are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with bipolar disorder was denied as her symptoms did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent.

The Board has decided to remand both claims for further examination and opinion, as the VA examinations were inadequate and conflicting.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been found to meet the criteria for a 70 percent disability rating, effective June 4, 2020.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and verifying the Veteran's periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA. The Board also requested an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder.