The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, and polysubstance abuse. The case is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in the prior denial of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, and polysubstance abuse. The AOJ did not obtain a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's diagnosed bipolar I disorder had its onset during service or is otherwise etiologically related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bipolar I disorder, Polysubstance abuse
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26010754
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 A26010754.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bipolar I disorder and lumbosacral strain were denied as the evidence did not show that his symptoms warranted a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim. The claims for service connection for unspecified traumatic stressor related disorder, bipolar I disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder were remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include adjustment disorder with mixed emotional features, Bipolar I disorder, major depressive disorder, insomnia, depression, and PTSD, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD with other specified depressive disorder and bipolar I disorder is denied. The decision was final as the Veteran did not appeal or submit new evidence within the appeal period.
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