Citation Nr: 21008965
Decision Date: 02/18/21	Archive Date: 02/18/21

DOCKET NO. 13-18 266
DATE: February 18, 2021

REMANDED

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

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty from April 1973 to May 1979 and from July 1982 to June 1994.  

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from an August 2011 rating decision by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office in Salt Lake City, Utah.  This issue was previously before the Board in June 2014.

An evaluation in excess of 0 percent for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

At a January 2021 Board hearing, the Veteran’s representative asserted that the bilateral hearing loss disability has increased in severity since the Veteran was last examined by VA in April 2013.  The Veteran should be provided an opportunity to report for a VA examination to ascertain the current severity and manifestations of bilateral hearing loss disability.

The matter is REMANDED for the following actions:

1. Acquire updated VA and private treatment records.  If such records are unavailable, the Veteran’s claim file must be clearly documented to that effect and the Veteran notified in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(e).

2. Schedule the Veteran for an examination by an appropriate clinician to determine the current severity of service-connected bilateral hearing loss.  The VA examiner should provide a full description of the disability and report all signs and symptoms necessary for evaluating the Veteran’s disability under the rating criteria.

 

 

G. A. WASIK

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans’ Appeals

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  This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.