Court Opinion

ID: 4310787
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2018-09-07 21:00:17.911644+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:44:18.858592
License: Public Domain

Citation Nr: 1829762	
Decision Date: 07/24/18    Archive Date: 08/02/18

DOCKET NO.  13-16 624	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in North Little Rock, Arkansas

THE ISSUE

Entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities for the period prior to November 6, 2013.

REPRESENTATION

Veteran represented by:	The American Legion

WITNESS AT HEARING ON APPEAL

The Veteran

ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Jack S. Komperda, Associate Counsel

INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty from June 1949 to June 1970.  He died in April 2018.  This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a September 2011 rating decision issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).  In July 2014, the Veteran testified at a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

FINDING OF FACT

The Board received confirmation that the Veteran died in April 2018.

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.A. § 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.A. § 7104(a); 38 C.F.R. § 20.1302.

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.  

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; 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.A. § 5121A; see 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.

	____________________________________________
M. E. LARKIN
Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals

Department of Veterans Affairs