Citation Nr: 0812751	
Decision Date: 04/17/08    Archive Date: 05/01/08

DOCKET NO.  06-07 083	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Louis, 
Missouri


THE ISSUE

Entitlement to an earlier effective date for increased 
evaluation for a left anterior shoulder dislocation, post 
operative with probable loose body.  


REPRESENTATION

Veteran represented by:	Disabled American Veterans


WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Veteran


ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Christopher McEntee, Associate Counsel 

INTRODUCTION

The veteran had active service from February 1976 to January 
1978.       

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals 
(Board) on appeal from a rating decision of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Louis, 
Missouri.     

The appeal is REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management 
Center (AMC), in Washington, DC.  VA will notify the veteran 
if further action is required.


REMAND

In a January 2008 statement, the veteran requested a hearing 
in St. Louis before the Board.  Although this request was not 
received within 90 days of the certification of appeal, the 
Board deems the designation of the new representative on or 
about January 28, 2008,  to be good cause to grant the 
hearing request.

Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following action:

The RO should schedule the veteran for a 
Travel Board hearing at the RO.  

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 Supp. 2007).



_________________________________________________
	John E. Ormond, Jr.
	Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 2002), 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) (2007).