The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that bipolar disorder did not contribute to his death and that there was no causal link between his service-connected conditions and his death.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence showing that the Veteran's bipolar disorder caused him to be killed or contributed to his death. The time lapses between actions and the fact that the Veteran was issued a gun permit before the incident make it unlikely that his bipolar disorder played a role in his death.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, brain neoplasm, left shoulder mild tendinopathy, lumbar spine strain, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right and left ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19127877
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for rhinorrhea and denied initial compensable evaluations for headaches and left knee disability, while remanding the claim for a respiratory disorder.
- 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 a 30 percent rating for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee instability, and separate 40 percent rating for right knee limitation of extension prior to July 27, 2019.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired mental health condition, to include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, based on new evidence.
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