The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bipolar disorder is denied as the earliest date on which service connection can be granted is October 24, 2001.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that no communication from March 21, 1988 to October 23, 2001 constituted a claim for an earlier effective date. The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim was last finally denied in March 1988, and service connection was granted based on new and material evidence received as of October 24, 2001.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2010
- Citation
- 1005390
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 1005390.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for ADHD, finding that it clearly and unmistakably preexisted the Veteran's service but was aggravated by military service. The claim for bipolar disorder was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including bipolar disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and bipolar disorder, to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for a new examination with an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to service.
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