The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for bipolar disorder was granted. The Board found new and material evidence related to the unestablished fact that his psychiatric condition may be secondary to service-connected disabilities, thus reopening the claim. Other issues regarding service connection were also remanded.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was submitted indicating a possible secondary relationship between the Veteran's psychiatric disorder and his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, right hand disorder, left hand disorder, fainting disorder, stomach disorder, vertigo, sleep disorder, skin disorder, renal cysts
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19186544
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 the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to insufficient evidence linking his current condition to active service or any incident of service.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for allergic rhinitis and lumbosacral or cervical strain was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the other issues were remanded for further evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a restoration of the separate 10 percent rating for vertigo, an earlier effective date for service connection for vertigo and migraines, and a 30 percent rating for hypothyroidism with heart murmur. The decision also denied an earlier effective date for hypertension and remanded claims for obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, and individual unemployability.
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