The Board denied the claim for a higher disability rating for bipolar disorder, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to December 6, 2017, and did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 70 percent thereafter.
The deciding factor: The severity, frequency, and duration of the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 30 percent rating, resulting in occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. Suicidal ideation was present but not at a level that warranted a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2025
- Citation
- 25007424
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 12, 2023, for a 50 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder and remanded the other issues for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired mental health condition, to include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, based on new evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bipolar disorder and denied increased ratings for the lumbar disability, left and right sciatica, and chronic sinusitis. However, it granted an increased rating of 40 percent from March 7, 2022, for left and right sciatic radiculopathy and restored a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed alternatively as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion and a failure to fulfill the duty to assist in obtaining relevant medical records.
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