The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD with bipolar disorder, as well as claims for increased ratings and TDIU/SMC, were denied. The Board found that the earliest date of entitlement to service connection was April 11, 2023.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit a formal claim prior to April 11, 2023, for PTSD with bipolar disorder, and therefore, the effective date cannot be earlier than this date.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD with bipolar disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- April 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26039256
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 A26039256.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a special home adaptation grant as they do not result in anatomical loss or use of both hands, blindness in both eyes, deep partial thickness burns, full thickness or subdermal burns, or residuals of an inhalation injury.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and no rating decision or service connection determination was made.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent rating for PTSD with bipolar disorder, DEA benefits, and TDIU.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD with bipolar disorder was denied as her symptoms did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 70 percent.
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