Citation Nr: 21065471
Decision Date: 10/26/21	Archive Date: 10/26/21

DOCKET NO. 18-25 921
DATE: October 26, 2021

REMANDED

The issue of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for service-connected hearing loss, left ear, is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty from September 1978 to January 1979, and from April 1983 to July 2003.

In October 2021, the Veteran testified under oath at a hearing before the undersigned Veteran's Law Judge.

Entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for service-connected hearing loss, left ear.

The Board finds that a new VA examination is needed prior to final adjudication of the issue on appeal.  At the October 2021 hearing, the Veteran testified that his hearing disability had worsened since the October 2017 VA examination.  Accordingly, a new VA examination is needed in order adequately evaluate the current severity of his symptoms.  See Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400, 403 (1997).

 

The matter is REMANDED for the following action:

1. After securing any necessary consent forms from the Veteran, obtain any outstanding treatment records, to include any VA and/or private treatment records, pertaining to the issue on appeal.  All efforts should be documented in the claim file.  If any records could not be obtained, this should be noted in the claim file.

2. Upon completion of the above, schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected hearing loss, left ear.

The VA examiner should be given access to the claim file.  The examiner should state that a review of the claim file was completed.  The examiner must provide a comprehensive report including complete rationales for all opinions and conclusions reached, citing the objective medical findings leading to the conclusions.  A detailed rationale is requested for all opinions provided.

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3. If upon completion of the above action the issue is denied, the case should be returned to the Board after compliance with appellate procedures.

 

 

E. I. VELEZ

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

Attorney for the Board	K. Foster, 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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.