Bipolar disorder Board decisions

The Board has found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar, and personality disorder, may be related to his service. However, due to a lack of VA examination and medical nexus opinion, the claim is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and bipolar disorder, finding no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including verifying the Veteran's reported in-service stressors and obtaining an addendum opinion clarifying the diagnoses.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent prior to July 12, 2019 for bipolar disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding SSA records.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 70% rating for service-connected bipolar disorder is denied because the evidence does not show that he was entitled to this rating prior to February 18, 2021.

The Veteran's petition to reopen a claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder and secondary substance abuse, was denied. The effective date cannot be earlier than June 28, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a psychiatric disability, left shoulder disability, hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and right lower extremity disability was dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD).,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for lumbosacral strain was denied as her symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to September 22, 2020, for the grant of a 100 percent rating for bipolar disorder is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's current back disorder is granted as service connected, with the Board finding that it began during active service.,Service connection for a mental health disability (including bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression) is denied. The Board found no evidence of aggravation in-service.

The appeals for service connection for TBI and bipolar disorder have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for his service-connected psychiatric disability from 100% to 70% was granted, effective May 1, 2021. The discontinuation of DEA benefits and statutory SMC(s) payments was also granted.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder, tinnitus, cervical spine disability, lumbosacral and thoracic strain (lumbar spine disability), left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, painful motion of the left hip, limitation of flexion of the left hip, thigh impairment of the left hip, painful motion of the right hip, limitation of flexion of the right hip, left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome (left knee disability), right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome (right knee disability), and gastroesophageal reflux disease have all been denied. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU effective January 12, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date from August 28, 2020, for her acquired psychiatric condition is granted. The effective date is based on the date she submitted her Intent to File form.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and TDIU due to a duty to assist error in verifying an in-service stressor. The Veteran's psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD, bipolar depression, alcohol use disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and rule out major depressive disorder, are being reviewed with additional opinions on their etiology.

Your claim for service connection for unspecified bipolar disorder and adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood (claimed as sleep disturbances) has been granted, but the effective date is set at July 26, 2020. The matter of service connection is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from securing or following substantially gainful employment from June 4, 2015 to July 4, 2018.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the rating for bipolar disorder, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and verifying service stressors. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, will be reconsidered with additional evidence.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of the claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for PTSD, and service connection for bipolar unspecified under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) System.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder, tuberculosis, right shin splints, and left shin splints due to incomplete records from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records and schedule the Veteran for VA examinations to address his claims.