BVA9502960 
DOCKET NO.  93-09 186     )       DATE
          )
          )

On appeal from the decision of the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Houston, Texas

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to a compensable evaluation for tinnitus.

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by: The American Legion

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

N. W. Fabian, Associate Counsel

REMAND

The veteran had active duty from April 1966 to April 1992.

To ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has met
its duty to assist the claimant in developing the facts pertinent
to the claim and to ensure full compliance with due process
requirements, the case is REMANDED to the regional office (RO)
for the following development:

1.  The RO should obtain the names and
addresses of all medical care providers who
treated the veteran for tinnitus since June
1992.  After securing the necessary
release, the RO should obtain these
records.

2.  The veteran should be afforded a VA
ear, nose, and throat examination to
determine if the veteran's tinnitus is due
to head injury, concussion, or acoustic
trauma.  The claims folder should be made
available to the examiner for review before
the examination.  The examination should be
conducted in accordance with  the
Physician's Guide for Disability Evaluation
Examinations.  The examiner should be asked
to provide an opinion on whether the
veteran's tinnitus was caused by head
injury, concussion, or acoustic trauma.

If, after RO review, the decision remains adverse to the veteran,
a Supplemental Statement of the Case, which includes all issues
for which a Notice of Disagreement has been filed and which
includes all pertinent law and regulations not previously
provided to the veteran, should be issued and the veteran and his
representative afforded an opportunity to respond.  Thereafter,
the case should be returned to the

Board, if in order.  The Board intimates no opinion as to the
ultimate outcome of this case.  The appellant need take no action
until notified.

          JOHN E. ORMOND
          Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals

The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures
Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___
(1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be
assigned to an individual member of the Board for a
determination.  This proceeding has been assigned to an
individual member of the Board.

Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States
Court of Veterans Appeals.  This remand is in the nature of a
preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board
on the merits of your appeal.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1993).