Citation Nr: 22017197
Decision Date: 03/24/22	Archive Date: 03/24/22

DOCKET NO. 18-50 713
DATE: March 24, 2022

REMANDED

Entitlement to an increased rating for hearing loss of the left ear is remanded.

REASONS FOR REMAND

The Veteran had active service in the U.S. Army from January 1997 to January 2000.  

This matter comes to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from an August 2017 rating decision issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Veteran testified at a videoconference hearing before the undersigned Acting Veterans Law Judge in March 2022.  This appeal is being adjudicated under the Board's One Touch program.  A transcript of the hearing will be associated with the claims file at a later time.

1. Entitlement to an increased rating for hearing loss of the left ear is remanded.

The Veteran testified in March 2022 that his hearing loss has worsened since his last VA examination, which occurred in October 2019.  As such, the Board finds that a new VA examination is warranted. See Snuffer v. Gober, 10 Vet. App. 400, 403 (1997). The Board finds that remand is warranted for a VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss. 

The matters are REMANDED for the following action:

1. Obtain and associate with the Veteran's claims file any outstanding VA treatment records.

2. Request that the Veteran identify any relevant private treatment records, if any. 

3. Schedule the Veteran for a VA audiological examination to determine the nature and severity of his left ear hearing loss.  

4. Then the AOJ should re-adjudicate the claim.

 

 

S. Sorathia 

Acting Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans' Appeals

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 This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.