Citation Nr: 1635117	
Decision Date: 09/08/16    Archive Date: 09/20/16

DOCKET NO.  14-18 717	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in New Orleans, Louisiana


THE ISSUES

Entitlement to a compensable evaluation for hearing loss, prior to June 24, 2014, and entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent thereafter.


REPRESENTATION

Veteran represented by:	Disabled American Veterans


WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

Veteran


ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

M. Scott Walker, Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty from July 1963 to July 1966.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from June 2012 and October 2015 rating decisions of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The Veteran testified before the undersigned during a Board hearing held in November 2015.  A copy of the hearing transcript has been associated with the record.

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


REMAND

During the Veteran's November 2015 Board hearing, he testified that his service-connected hearing loss had worsened in severity since his most recent VA examination, rendering the results non-pertinent to his current level of disability.  As such, this issue is remanded to assess the present level of symptomatology.

Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following action:

1.  Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected hearing loss.  

2.  Then readjudicate the issue of entitlement to an increased rating for hearing loss.  If the claim remains denied, provide the Veteran and his representative with a supplemental statement of the case and allow an appropriate time for response. 

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).


_________________________________________________
MATTHEW W. BLACKWELDER
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).