Citation Nr: 18157212
Decision Date: 12/12/18	Archive Date: 12/11/18

DOCKET NO. 15-41 354
DATE:	December 12, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from November 1974 to November 1976, with additional Reserves service.  This matter is before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a December 2014 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).
In December 2018, the Veteran testified before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge at a hearing.  This decision is being made under the “one-touch” program.  The hearing transcript will still be processed and associated with the claims file in the ordinary course of business. 
Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
The Veteran asserted a lack of hearing protection in service, coupled with firing thousands of rounds on a daily basis and the use of heavy firearms (such as machine guns and grenades), caused his bilateral hearing loss disability.  See August 2014 VA Form 21-4138, Statement in Support of Claim; September 2015 notice of disagreement; and November 2015 VA Form 9.   
The Veteran underwent a VA contract examination in December 2014 and a VA addendum medical opinion was provided in May 2015.   In November 2015, the Veteran submitted medical literature from The Journal of Neuroscience that discussed loud noise exposure at a young age and accelerated age-related hearing loss.  The claim is remanded for an addendum medical opinion that reflects review and consideration of the additional treatise evidence submitted.
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Obtain an addendum medical opinion concerning the etiology of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss.  The examiner must review the entire claims file, to include a copy of this REMAND, in conjunction with authoring the opinion.  The examiner should address the following:
a)	Is it at least as likely as not (a 50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service military noise exposure?
b)	Is it at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss manifested to a compensable degree within a year of service discharge?
c)	The examiner should ask the Veteran to describe his post-service noise exposure.  This information should be considered in forming the above opinion
In providing the opinion and rationale, the examiner should consider and discuss the article entitled, “Acceleration of Age-Related Hearing Loss by Early Noise Exposure: Evidence of a Misspent Youth,” provided by the Veteran and his representative. 
A complete rationale must be provided for all opinions expressed.  If the examiner feels that the requested opinion cannot be rendered without resorting to speculation, he or she must explain why this is so.
 
D. JOHNSON
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	M. Tang, Associate Counsel