Court Opinion

ID: 4184807
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-07-10 18:00:16.118526+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:13:12.324339
License: Public Domain

Citation Nr: 1719101	
Decision Date: 05/31/17    Archive Date: 06/06/17

DOCKET NO.  14-15 471A	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Atlanta, Georgia

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder, claimed as lumbar scoliosis.  

REPRESENTATION

Appellant represented by:	John S. Berry, Attorney

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

D. Havelka, Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty from April 29, 1998 to August 25, 1998.

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a January 2014 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Paul, Minnesota; the Veteran resided within the jurisdiction of the VARO in Atlanta, Georgia. 

FINDING OF FACT

The Veteran died in April 2017.

CONCLUSION OF LAW

Due to the death of the appellant, the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.  38 U.S.C.A. § 7104(a) (West 2014); 38 C.F.R. § 20.1302 (2016). 

REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION

VA was informed that the Veteran died in April 2017.  Unfortunately, the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.  As a matter of law, appellants' claims do not survive their deaths.  Zevalkink v. Brown, 102 F.3d 1236, 1243-44 (Fed. Cir. 1996); Smith v. Brown, 10 Vet. App. 330, 333-34 (1997); Landicho v. Brown, 7 Vet. App. 42, 47 (1994).  This appeal on the merits has become moot by virtue of the death of the appellant and must be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.  See 38 U.S.C.A. § 7104(a) (West 2014); 38 C.F.R. § 20.1302 (2016).

In reaching this determination, the Board intimates no opinion as to the merits of this appeal or to any derivative claim brought by a survivor of the Veteran.  38 C.F.R. § 20.1106 (2016).  

The Board's dismissal of this appeal does not affect the right of an eligible person to file a request to be substituted as the appellant for purposes of processing the claim to completion.  Such request must be filed not later than one year after the date of the appellant's death.  See 38 U.S.C.A. § 5121A (West 2014); 38 C.F.R. § 3.1010(b) (2016).  A person eligible for substitution includes, "a living person who would be eligible to receive accrued benefits due to the claimant under section 5121(a) of this title ...."  38 U.S.C.A. § 5121A (West 2014); see 38 C.F.R. § 3.1010(a) (2015).  An eligible party seeking substitution in an appeal that has been dismissed by the Board due to the death of the claimant should file a request for substitution with the VA office from which the claim originated (listed on the first page of this decision).  38 C.F.R. § 3.1010(b) (2016). 

ORDER

The appeal is dismissed.

____________________________________________
Nathan Kroes
Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals

Department of Veterans Affairs