The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for bipolar I disorder due to a need for additional development, including obtaining relevant treatment records and a new VA medical addendum opinion.
The deciding factor: The remand is necessary due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors in not attempting to obtain relevant records and outstanding service records, as well as an inadequate VA examination/VA medical addendum opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar I disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24070340
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 service connection for bipolar I disorder, finding that the condition preexisted the Veteran's military service and was not aggravated by it.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for bipolar I disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including bipolar I disorder, alcohol use disorder (mild), and major depressive disorder with psychotic features.
- Dismissed
The appeal of a grant of service connection for treatment purposes only under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 17 for bipolar I disorder is dismissed as the Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder in a September 2025 decision.
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