The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her unspecified bipolar and related disorder is granted, with the effective date being September 7, 2016. The Board also found that she has occupational and social impairment due to her psychiatric condition since September 7, 2016.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms have caused significant occupational and social impairment beginning from September 7, 2016, warranting a 70 percent rating under the criteria for mental disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear otitis media, polycystic kidney and liver disease, degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 4, 2018
- Citation
- 18155491
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 18155491.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 tinnitus, a lower back disability, residuals of inguinal hernia repair, residuals of umbilical hernia repair, and sinusitis. Service connection was denied for an ulcer, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and acne.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ear otitis media, chronic pharyngitis, and a spine disability due to inadequate VA examinations that did not consider the appellant's lay statements.
- Denied
The Veteran's left ear otitis media is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board found that there was no evidence of suppuration or aural polyps to warrant a higher rating. The claim for an increased rating is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period prior to September 3, 2013 was denied as his increase in disability and worsening of symptoms were factually ascertainable on a date specific in the year prior to September 3, 2013.
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