The Board has determined that the Veteran should be afforded the presumption of soundness due to his mental health issues prior to enlistment. However, VA has not met its burden of proving by clear and unmistakable evidence that bipolar disorder pre-existed service. The Board finds a new VA medical opinion is needed to address the issue of entitlement to service connection for an acquired mental health disability, to include bipolar disorder.
The deciding factor: VA failed to meet the burden of proof required under the presumption of soundness due to lack of clear and unmistakable evidence that bipolar disorder pre-existed service.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depressive disorder, psychotic disorder, mood disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20014730
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 20014730.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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