The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected bipolar II disorder and related self-medication contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion provided by a clinical psychologist concluded that it was at least as likely as not that the Veteran used alcohol to medicate his service-connected bipolar disorder, which contributed to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar II Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2024
- Citation
- 24003883
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal for service connection of psychiatric disorders, including Bipolar II Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Stimulant Use Disorder, is remanded. The Board needs to correct duty-to-assist errors and obtain missing records.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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