Citation Nr: 21065774
Decision Date: 10/27/21	Archive Date: 10/27/21

DOCKET NO. 17-50 086
DATE: October 27, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to an initial rating higher than 0 percent for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty from February 1971 to January 1973.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 2017 rating decision of a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).  

The Veteran testified at a hearing before the undersigned Veterans Law Judge (VLJ) in October 2021.  This case is being remanded under VA's One Touch initiative.  A transcript of the hearing will be associated with the file at a later date. 

Entitlement to an initial rating higher than 0 percent for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

At the October 2021 Board hearing, the Veteran stated that his hearing loss had worsened since the February 2017 examination.  Accordingly, the matter is remanded to arrange for a new examination to assess the current severity of his hearing loss.  See Palczewski v. Nicholson, 21 Vet. App. 174, 181-82 (2007); 38 C.F.R. § 3.327(a). 

The matter is REMANDED for the following action:

1. Add to the file any outstanding VA treatment records pertaining to the Veteran dated since April 2021.

2. Arrange for an examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. 

 

 

P.M. DILORENZO

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.