Citation Nr: 18156390 Decision Date: 12/11/18 Archive Date: 12/07/18 DOCKET NO. 11-20 317 DATE: December 11, 2018 REMANDED Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty in the Army from June 1944 to June 1946 and from January 1951 to May 1952. The Veteran received a Combat Infantry Badge and a Parachutist Badge, among other medals. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2009 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Veteran was scheduled for a Board video conference hearing October 2018; however, he did not report for the hearing. This appeal has been advanced on the Board’s docket pursuant to 38 C.F.R. §20.900(c); 38 U.S.C. § 7107(a)(2). 1. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds that additional opinion is needed prior to adjudication of this claim. The Veteran was afforded a VA examination in connection with his bilateral hearing loss claim in February 2009. Although the examiner did provide a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, the examiner based the negative nexus opinion on the fact that hearing loss was not shown in service. However, hearing loss need not be shown during service for service connection to be established if there is competent evidence linking the current condition to service. Accordingly, the Board finds that an addendum opinion is needed. The matter is REMANDED for the following action: Send the claims file to a VA audiologist to obtain an addendum opinion on the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. If a new examination is deemed necessary to respond to the question presented, one should be scheduled. Following review of the claims file, the examiner should explain why the Veteran’s current hearing loss is/is not a delayed response to his combat noise exposure. K. A. BANFIELD Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD G. N. Wilson, Law Clerk