The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the increased rating of 50 percent for bipolar disorder is dismissed. The appeal for a higher rating than 50 percent for bipolar disorder prior to June 26, 2017 is denied. The Veteran's entitlement to individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities is also denied.
The deciding factor: The effective date of the increased rating was not earlier than April 4, 2014 due to lack of timely appeal or submission of new and material evidence within one year of notification. The criteria for a higher rating were not met as the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the requirements for a rating higher than 50 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- April 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19124889
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU.
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