The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for bipolar disorder was denied as the earliest possible effective date is January 21, 2005.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability evaluation for degenerative osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine with disc protrusion and extrusion at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels prior to April 22, 2015, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter was denied as there is no evidence that the Veteran's disability worsened between January 21, 2005 and April 22, 2015.
The deciding factor: The effective date for service connection for bipolar disorder cannot be earlier than January 21, 2005 as it was the earliest date of receipt of a claim for service connection.,There is no evidence that the Veteran's disability worsened between January 21, 2005 and April 22, 2015.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder, Degenerative Osteoarthritis of the Lumbar Spine with Disc Protrusion and Extrusion at L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2015
- Citation
- 1546972
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 1546972.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with bipolar disorder has resulted in total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100% disability rating effective August 8, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for a right knee condition are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ must attempt to verify the claimed stressor events and provide a VA examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not attributable to his active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's PTSD and bipolar disorder, as well as a failure to provide an adequate VA examination prior to the rating decision.
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