The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence is against the veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include bipolar disorder.
The deciding factor: There was clear and unmistakable evidence that the veteran's pre-existing psychiatric disability did not increase in severity during his active service; his current bipolar disorder is not shown to be related to his service.
- Claimed conditions
- psychiatric disability, bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2008
- Citation
- 0811806
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 remands the claim for a psychiatric disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding the presumption of soundness at entrance into service.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied higher initial disability ratings for the service-connected psychiatric disability and denied earlier effective dates for TDIU, SMC at the schedular housebound rate, and DEA benefits.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired mental health condition, to include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, based on new evidence.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.