Citation Nr: 21024440
Decision Date: 04/22/21	Archive Date: 04/22/21

DOCKET NO. 19-24 537
DATE: April 22, 2021

REMANDED

Entitlement to an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, rated initially as 10 percent disabling, and as 20 percent disabling from March 25, 2017, is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran served on active duty in the Navy from November 1952 to September 1954.  His decorations include a Korean Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star.

The Board remanded the issue in April 2020 for further development.

1. Entitlement to an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

Review of the record reflects that remand for further development is necessary.  Although the Board sincerely regrets the delay, it is necessary to ensure that there is a complete record upon which to decide the Veteran’s claim so that he is afforded every possible consideration.  

VA treatment records indicate that the Veteran had audiological evaluations in September 2012, July 2014, July 2015, and April 2016.  The audiogram results, however, are noted to be located in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and/or VistA Imaging, neither of which the Board has access to view. 

As such, the Board finds that a remand is required to obtain all VA audiometric test results dated since August 2012 that are stored in CPRS or VistA Imaging.

The matter is REMANDED for the following action:

Associate with the claims file all relevant VA audiological treatment records dated from August 2012 to present, to include associating all audiogram results located in CPRS and/or scanned into VistA Imaging.

 

 

H. SEESEL

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans’ Appeals

Attorney for the Board	N. Nelson

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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.