The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder has been reopened, but further development is needed to determine the nature of his disability and its relationship to service. The left ankle disability remains under review due to a lack of recent VA examination. The TDIU issue is also remanded as it may be impacted by the outcome of these other claims.
The deciding factor: Further medical evaluation is required to address the Veteran's bipolar disorder, including determining whether it preexisted service and was aggravated in service, and to assess the current severity of his left ankle disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder, Left Ankle Disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19168179
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 19168179.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a headache disability, hypertension, and an increased rating for a left ankle disability to obtain additional evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for ADHD, finding that it clearly and unmistakably preexisted the Veteran's service but was aggravated by military service. The claim for bipolar disorder was remanded for further development.
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