Citation Nr: 1802321	
Decision Date: 01/11/18    Archive Date: 01/23/18

DOCKET NO.  15-43 021	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Winston-Salem, North Carolina


THE ISSUE

Whether the Veteran is competent to handle his VA benefits.


REPRESENTATION

Veteran represented by:	The American Legion


ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

Shauna M. Watkins, Counsel


INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty from August 1968 to February 1970.

The Veteran's claim comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a March 2014 rating decision of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Jackson, Mississippi.  The RO in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, currently has jurisdiction over the appeal.

This appeal was processed using the paperless, electronic Virtual VA and Veteran Benefits Management System (VBMS) claims processing systems.


FINDING OF FACT

On November 9, 2017, the RO in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was notified that the Veteran died on November [REDACTED], 2017.


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) (2012); 38 C.F.R. § 20.1302 (2017). 


REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION

Unfortunately, the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.  As a matter of law, veterans' 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 Veteran and must be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.  See 38 U.S.C. § 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 (2017).  

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. § 5121A (2012); 38 C.F.R. § 3.1010(b) (2017).  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; 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) (2017). 


ORDER

The appeal is dismissed.



		
MARJORIE A. AUER
	Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals

Department of Veterans Affairs