The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, as well as her claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The decision found that there was clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existence of the psychiatric disabilities prior to service and that they were not aggravated by service. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied due to non-service-connected schizoaffective disorder.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder preexisted her military service and were not aggravated by service, thus denying service connection for these conditions. For the TDIU claim, the Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular rating threshold due to her sole service-connected disability (PTSD) being rated at 0 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20020634
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 20020634.
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.
- 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 Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Granted
The Veteran's bipolar disorder was rated at 50% and then reduced to 30%. The Board has now granted a 70% rating effective November 23, 2021, based on the improvement in her symptoms.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, schizoaffective disorder, and neurocognitive disorder is remanded due to a failure to provide a VA examination addressing whether the pre-existing psychiatric disorder was aggravated during service.
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