Citation Nr: 1636711	
Decision Date: 09/20/16    Archive Date: 09/27/16

DOCKET NO.  15-06 357A	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Los Angeles, California


THE ISSUE

Entitlement to an effective date earlier than October 20, 2011, for the grant of service connection for bipolar disorder.


REPRESENTATION

Veteran represented by:	California Department of Veterans Affairs


WITNESSES AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Veteran, spouse, and Dr. J.H.


ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

A. D. Jackson, Counsel


INTRODUCTION

The Veteran had active service from April 1965 to April 1967.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 2013 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Los Angeles, California, which granted service connection for bipolar disorder, effective October 20, 2011.  

This appeal has been advanced on the Board's docket pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 20.900(c) (2015).  38 U.S.C.A. § 7107(a)(2) (West 2014).

The appeal is REMANDED to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).  VA will notify the Veteran if further action is required.


REMAND

In written statements and testimony before the Board, the Veteran contends that he made efforts to file a claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder in the early 1990's.  In a statement received in April 2016, the Veteran stated that according to his appointment book, he began receiving VA treatment as early as 1988.  Another entry indicated that he made an effort to sit down with a Disability Officer on March 31, 1990.  The Veteran contends that his efforts should be reflected in VA outpatient records from this period.  

(Please note, this appeal has been advanced on the Board's docket pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 20.900(c).  Expedited handling is requested.)


Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following action:

1.  Make arrangements to obtain records from the Toluca Lake, California, and Sepulveda, California, VA facilities that date from 1988 to 1997.

2.  Finally, re-adjudicate the claim on appeal.  If the benefits sought are not granted, furnish the Veteran and his representative with a supplemental statement of the case and afford them an opportunity to respond before the record is returned to the Board for further review.

The Veteran has the right to submit additional evidence and argument on the matter the Board has remanded.  Kutscherousky v. West, 12 Vet. App. 369 (1999).

This claim must be afforded expeditious treatment.  The law requires that all claims that are remanded by the Board of Veterans' Appeals or by the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims for additional development or other appropriate action must be handled in an expeditious manner.  See 38 U.S.C.A. §§ 5109B, 7112 (West 2014).



_________________________________________________
BRADLEY W. HENNINGS
Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 2014), only a decision of the Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.  This remand is in the nature of a preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (2015).