Citation Nr: 21000889 Decision Date: 01/06/21 Archive Date: 01/06/21 DOCKET NO. 17-27 809 DATE: January 6, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to a disability rating greater than 30 percent for a right forearm laceration with medial nerve involvement is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran had active service from November 1977 to September 1980. A videoconference Board hearing was held in September 2020 before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge and a copy of the hearing transcript has been added to the record. The Veteran appointed his current representative to represent him before VA by filing a completed VA Form 21-22 at the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) later in September 2020. The Veteran contends that his service-connected right forearm laceration with medial nerve involvement is more disabling than currently evaluated. The record evidence shows that the most recent VA examination for this disability occurred in April 2017, more than 3 years ago. The Court has held that, when a Veteran alleges that his service-connected disability has worsened since he was examined previously, a new examination may be required to evaluate the current degree of impairment. See Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400, 403 (1997); but see Palczewski v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 174, 182 (2007) (finding "mere passage of time" does not render old examination inadequate). Given the Veteran's contentions, and given the length of time which has elapsed since his most recent VA examination in April 2017, the Board finds that, on remand, he should be scheduled for an updated VA examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected right forearm laceration with medial nerve involvement. The AOJ also should obtain the Veteran’s updated treatment records. It appears that the most recent VA outpatient treatment records associated with the claims file are dated only through June 2017. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: 1. Conduct any appropriate development to obtain the Veteran’s updated treatment records. 2. Schedule the Veteran for an updated examination to determine the current nature and severity of his service-connected right forearm laceration with medial nerve involvement. 3. Readjudicate the appeal. R. FEINBERG Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board Michael T. Osborne, 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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.