Citation Nr: 20003263 Decision Date: 01/15/20 Archive Date: 01/14/20 DOCKET NO. 18-26 912 DATE: January 15, 2020 REMANDED The issue of an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service in the United States Army from October 1951 through October 1953. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a May 2016 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). In November 2019, the Veteran was afforded a video conference hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ). During the hearing, the VLJ engaged in a colloquy with the Veteran toward substantiation of the claims. Bryant v. Shinseki, 23 Vet. App. 488, 496-97 (2010). A hearing transcript is in the record. 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. An initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded. In the November 2019 hearing, the Veteran stated that his service-connected bilateral hearing loss symptoms have worsened since his April 2016 VA examination. The Board finds additional examination is warranted to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran’s service-connected bilateral hearing loss. See Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400, 403 (1997). The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Request the Veteran provide any service treatment records he possesses or identify and secure any relevant private medical records that are not in the claims file. If the Veteran identifies private records, following the securing of the appropriate waivers, make all appropriate attempts to locate such records and to associate them with the claims file. If the Veteran has no further evidence to submit, or, if after exhaustive efforts have been made, no records can be identified, so annotate the record. 2. Obtain any outstanding VA medical records and associate them with the claims file. 3. After any additional evidence is associated with the claims file, schedule the Veteran for an appropriate VA examination to determine the severity of his bilateral impaired hearing in accordance with the applicable rating criteria and to determine the resultant functional effects, including on his day-to-day activities and employment. See Martinak v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 447 (2007). The entire claims file, including a copy of the Remand, should be made available to, and be reviewed by, the VA examiner. All diagnostic testing and evaluation needed to make this determination should be performed, and all clinical findings reported in detail. Specifically, the results of the audiological examination should state, in numbers, the findings of pure tone decibel loss at 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz; should provide the pure tone threshold average; and should also state the results of the word recognition test, in percentages, using the Maryland CNC test. The VA examiner, in addition to dictating objective test results, should fully describe the functional effects caused by the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss. Any indications that the Veteran’s complaints or other symptomatology are not in accord with the objective findings on examination should be directly addressed and discussed in the examination report. Vito A. Clementi Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board S. McLendon, Associate Counsel The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential, and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.