Citation Nr: 21065535
Decision Date: 10/26/21	Archive Date: 10/26/21

DOCKET NO. 14-05 171
DATE: October 26, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Navy from January 1970 to November 1971 and from February 1991 to June 1991.  This matter is on appeal from a November 2011 rating decision.

In March 2021, the Veteran testified at a virtual hearing with the undersigned Veterans Law Judge.  A transcript of the hearing is of record.

The Veteran has claimed that his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is more severe than his current evaluation would indicate.

The Veteran most recently underwent a VA audiology assessment on January 2021which provided hearing threshold levels, but did not use the Maryland CNC word list.  Thus, the findings are inadequate for rating purposes.  The Veteran most recently underwent a VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire examination in June 2015.  However, in March 2021, the Veteran testified that his hearing loss had worsened since the last VA examination.

Accordingly, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability rating claim should be remanded for a new VA examination.  Weggenmann v. Brown, 5 Vet. App. 281, 284 (1993); VAOPGCPREC 11-95 (1995).

The matter is REMANDED for the following action:

Schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to ascertain and evaluate the current level of severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.  All indicated studies and tests should be performed.  The claims folder should be made available to the examiner for review of pertinent documents.  The examination reports should reflect that such a review was conducted.

 

 

KELLI A. KORDICH

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.