The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a neuropsychiatric disability and TDIU, finding that there was no evidence linking his current bipolar disorder to his military service. The veteran's right ankle injury and hearing loss were not found to be severe enough to prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The VA medical expert opinion concluded that the veteran's current bipolar disorder is unlikely related to his in-service adjustment disorder, given the brief nature of the symptoms reported during service. The Board also noted that there was no evidence showing the veteran could not secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, adjustment disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2007
- Citation
- 0716501
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 0716501.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's bipolar disorder was rated at 50% and then reduced to 30%. The Board has now granted a 70% rating effective November 23, 2021, based on the improvement in her symptoms.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in loss of use of both feet, which qualifies her for an allowance for an automobile and adaptive equipment.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 2, 2015, for TDIU was denied as the evidence did not show actual worsening within one year prior to his March 2, 2015, claim.
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