The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder and left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals has been reopened, and the claims are granted. Service connection is also granted for left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals. The right shoulder rotator cuff disorder and hypertension claims are denied. A rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome is denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the final December 2009 rating decision raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the Veteran's claims, including new diagnoses and nexus opinions supporting service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19101548
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 an effective date of December 12, 2023, for a 50 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder and remanded the other issues for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired mental health condition, to include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, based on new evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bipolar disorder and denied increased ratings for the lumbar disability, left and right sciatica, and chronic sinusitis. However, it granted an increased rating of 40 percent from March 7, 2022, for left and right sciatic radiculopathy and restored a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
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