The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to a lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives.
The deciding factor: The previous medical opinions did not substantially comply with the August 2018 remand directives, specifically regarding the use of an improper standard when assessing whether the service-connected bipolar disorder was a primary or contributory cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20073349
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 claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including bipolar disorder.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for a new examination with an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU.
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