Citation Nr: 18158343
Decision Date: 12/14/18	Archive Date: 12/14/18

DOCKET NO. 16-59 563
DATE:	December 14, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from October 1968 to April 1975.
This matter comes before the Board of Veteran’s Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2016 rating decision by a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). 
The Veteran requested an in-person hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the local RO on the VA Form 9 dated November 29, 2016.  In a statement received February 24, 2017, the Veteran withdrew his hearing request.  Accordingly, the Board considers the hearing request withdrawn pursuant to 38 C.F.R. § 20.702(d).
Entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
In the June 2018 Appellant’s Brief, the Veteran asserted that his bilateral hearing loss warrants a compensable rating.  The Veteran’s last VA examination was in February 2017.  However, since that time the Veteran stated that his hearing has gotten worse.  As there is an assertion of worsening symptomatology, a remand is warranted to ensure that the record contains evidence of the current severity of the Veteran’s service-connected hearing loss.  38 U.S.C. § 5103A; 38 C.F.R. § 3.159; Green v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 121 (1991); Caffrey v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 377
The matter is REMANDED for the following action:
1. Obtain any relevant outstanding VA and private treatment records and associate them with the Veteran’s claims file.
2. Schedule the Veteran for a VA audiological examination with an appropriate examiner to determine the current severity of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss.  All indicated studies, including audiometric testing should be performed, and all findings should be reported in detail.  The examiner should also fully describe the functional effects of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss.  The rationale for any opinions offered, without resort to speculation, should be provided.
 
CAROLINE B. FLEMING
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	Christopher W. King, Law Clerk