Citation Nr: 18149069
Decision Date: 11/08/18	Archive Date: 11/08/18

DOCKET NO. 16-60 414
DATE:	November 8, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from May 1988 to January 1995.
This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).
Bilateral Hearing Loss
The Veteran contends that his service-connected hearing loss warrants a compensable rating.  
The Veteran last underwent an audiological examination for his hearing loss in January 2016.  However, the hearing thresholds were not recorded because the Veteran did not respond to puretone thresholds at any level.  As such, the last examination that is adequate for rating purposes was conducted in April 2013.  The Veteran’s representative has argued, persuasively, that the Veteran claimed that his hearing loss has worsened and the April 2013 VA examination is too old to adequately evaluate the Veteran’s hearing loss.  See April 2017 Informal Hearing Presentation.   In order to properly adjudicate the claim, a VA audiological examination should be obtained to determine the current nature and severity of the service-connected bilateral hearing loss.  See Proscelle v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 629, 632 (1992) (holding that, where the veteran claims a disability is worse than when originally rated and the evidence is too old to adequately evaluate the current state of the condition, the VA must provide a new examination).
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1.  Schedule the Veteran for the appropriate VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of the service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.  
2.  Then, readjudicate the Veteran’s claim.  If the benefits sought on appeal remain denied, the Veteran should be furnished an appropriate supplemental statement of the case and be provided an opportunity to respond.  The case should be returned to the Board for further appellate consideration, as appropriate.
 
KELLI A. KORDICH
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	A. Cryan, Counsel