Court Opinion

ID: 4345433
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-11-29 01:01:40.894403+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:24:33.480886
License: Public Domain

Citation Nr: 1829847	
Decision Date: 09/05/18    Archive Date: 09/24/18

DOCKET NO.  15-14 253	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Wichita, Kansas

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, claimed as due to exposure to herbicides. 

REPRESENTATION

Veteran represented by:	Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty from December 1967 to October 1971. 

This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a June 2013 rating decision issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Wichita, Kansas.

FINDING OF FACT

In June 2018, VA was notified that the Veteran died in May 2018, as verified by the Social Security Administration.

CONCLUSION OF LAW

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

REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION

Unfortunately, the Veteran 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. § 7104(a).

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.

In this regard, 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 Veteran's death.  See, 38 U.S.C. § 5121A; 38 C.F.R. § 3.1010 (b).  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. § 5121A; 38 C.F.R. § 3.1010(a).  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). 

ORDER

The appeal is dismissed.

		
A. JAEGER
	Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals