The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records and a supplemental opinion from the examiner who conducted the August 2011 examination.
The deciding factor: The case was remanded by the Board in May 2011 but no additional treatment records were obtained. The Veteran's hearing testimony and the VA examiner's report indicate that he continued to receive treatment for his psychiatric disorder from VA, which should be obtained. Additionally, a supplemental opinion is needed regarding whether pre-service and inservice findings are part of a personality disorder or if there is an acquired psychiatric disorder superimposed on a personality disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2012
- Citation
- 1234744
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 1234744.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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