The veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder is pending. The RO must obtain all relevant medical records and provide the veteran with a VA examination to assess his current low back and left shoulder disabilities, including their etiology and impact on his ability to work.
The deciding factor: The decision addresses multiple issues related to the veteran's claims, but does not explicitly state which service connection theory applies or how the evidence supports it. The mixed disposition suggests that some aspects of the claim may be granted while others are denied.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, degenerative joint disease at L4-5 and L5-S1, lumbosacral strain with L5 spondylolysis, recurrent left shoulder dislocations with neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2002
- Citation
- 0207871
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0207871.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 12, 2023, for a 50 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder and remanded the other issues for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired mental health condition, to include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, based on new evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bipolar disorder and denied increased ratings for the lumbar disability, left and right sciatica, and chronic sinusitis. However, it granted an increased rating of 40 percent from March 7, 2022, for left and right sciatic radiculopathy and restored a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
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