The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder, finding that the Veteran's current disability is due to her military service. The claim was reopened based on new evidence showing a nexus between the Veteran's in-service suicide attempt and her current mental health condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence supports a finding that the Veteran’s bipolar disorder is due to her service, despite conflicting opinions from some medical professionals.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001239
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.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 20, 2007 for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and increased ratings to 70% from March 27, 2020 to June 5, 2020, and 100% from June 5, 2020. The claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for PTSD and schizoaffective disorder based on the severity of symptoms that approximate total occupational and social impairment.
- 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.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.