Citation Nr: 21001163 Decision Date: 01/07/21 Archive Date: 01/07/21 DOCKET NO. 14-25 344A DATE: January 7, 2021 REMANDED Entitlement to service connection for hearing loss is remanded. REASONS FOR REMAND The Veteran served on active duty from February 1997 to February 2001. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a July 2012 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO). The Board remanded this case in April 2018 and December 2019 for further development. Unfortunately, another remand is required before this matter can be adjudicated. Entitlement to service connection for hearing loss is remanded. The Veteran has undergone VA examinations in July 2012 and September 2020. The results of both examinations showed that the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability as defined by 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. VA treatment records indicate that in May 2019 the Veteran sought treatment for hearing loss. He underwent an audiogram and was issued hearing aids by VA. The results of the audiogram are not in the claims file, but they may be relevant to substantiate the Veteran’s claim that he has a hearing loss disability. The VA treatment records indicate that the audiogram results are “available in CPRS Tools/Audiogram Display.” The December 2019 Board remand directed the RO to obtain the May 2019 audiometric testing results and associate those records with the claims file. The RO associated the May 2019 audiology note with the file on at least three occasions, but never the audiogram results, and no finding of unavailability was made. Therefore, another remand is required for the RO to attempt to obtain the results of the May 2019 audiometric testing. In accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c), the RO should make as many requests are as necessary, or until the RO concludes that the records sought do not exist or that further efforts to obtain those records would be futile. The RO should document all efforts to obtain the results of the May 2019 audiometric testing. The matters are REMANDED for the following action: Obtain the results of the May 2019 audiometric testing, which may be available in available in CPRS Tools/Audiogram Display. Make as many requests are as necessary to obtain the records, or until the RO concludes that the records sought do not exists or that further attempts to obtain those records would be futile. Document all requests for information as well as all responses in the claims file. J. B. FREEMAN Veterans Law Judge Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney for the Board A. Boal, 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.