The Veteran's psychiatric disability, diagnosed as bipolar disorder in 2003, was not incurred or aggravated by active service and is not related to a service-connected condition. The back disability was also not found to be related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current psychiatric disability (diagnosed as bipolar disorder) did not manifest until after separation from service and is not linked to any in-service stressor, including alleged sexual trauma. The back disability was not shown to be caused by or aggravated by a service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder, Psychiatric Disability (Bipolar Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 22, 2010
- Citation
- 1027476
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 1027476.
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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