Citation Nr: 18158587
Decision Date: 12/18/18	Archive Date: 12/17/18

DOCKET NO. 12-34 988
DATE:	December 18, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disorder is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for a bilateral ankle disorder is remanded. 
Entitlement to a compensable evaluation for dermatophytosis of the left hand long finger (previously characterized as onychomycosis of the left hand long finger) is remanded. 
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty from January 1973 to January 1976.  
This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a December 2010 rating decision.
The Veteran testified at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge in February 2016.  A transcript of that proceeding is associated with the record.  
In August 2016 and August 2017, the Board remanded the case for further development.  The case has since been returned to the Board for appellate review.
In August 2017, the Board directed the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) to request that the Veteran provide the names and addresses of any and all health care providers who provided treatment for the disorders on appeal.  In September 2017, the AOJ sent the Veteran a letter requesting that he identify any outstanding private medical records.  However, the record reflects that the letter was returned as undeliverable in November 2017.  Thereafter, the RO sent an additional letter to the Veteran at a newly obtained mailing address that was also returned as undeliverable.  In addition, the Board notes that numerous other letters that were sent to the Veteran’s address of record have been returned as undeliverable.  
The Board acknowledges that the record does not show that the Veteran provided the AOJ with an updated mailing address.  The burden is on the Veteran to keep VA apprised of his whereabouts, and if he does not do so, VA is not obligated to "turn up heaven and earth" to find him. Hyson v. Brown, 5 Vet. App. 262, 265 (1993); see also Wood v. Derwinski, 1 Vet. App. 190, 193 (1991) (noting that VA’s duty to assist veterans is not always a “one-way street”).  However, in October 2018, the AOJ obtained a new mailing address for the Veteran from the Social Security Administration (SSA).  Therefore, a remand is necessary.  
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
1.  The AOJ should take appropriate steps to verify the Veteran’s current address, to include contacting him at his telephone number of record and his representative.  It should be noted that an October 2018 SSA Inquiry listed a different address for the Veteran from the one listed in the Veterans Benefits Administration database.  
2.  The AOJ should then send the Veteran and his representative a copy of any correspondence from VA that were returned as undeliverable and pertinent to the appeal, to specifically include the September 2017 notification letter.  
The AOJ should document all efforts undertaken and the responses received.
3.  The AOJ should request that the Veteran provide the names and addresses of any and all health care providers who have provided treatment for his bilateral knee disorder, bilateral ankle disorders, and dermatophytosis of the left hand long finger.  After acquiring this information and obtaining any necessary authorization, the AOJ should obtain and associate these records with the claims file.
The AOJ should also obtain any outstanding VA medical records.
4.  After completing the above actions, the AOJ should conduct any other development as may be indicated as a consequence of the actions taken in the preceding paragraphs.  
 
J.W. ZISSIMOS
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	M. Wulff, Associate Counsel