Citation Nr: 1802780	
Decision Date: 01/12/18    Archive Date: 01/23/18

DOCKET NO.  12-05 682	)	DATE
	)
	)

On appeal from the
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida


THE ISSUE

Entitlement to medical expense reimbursement.

REPRESENTATION

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


ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD

S. Ferguson, Associate Counsel


INTRODUCTION

The Veteran served on active duty from July 1951 to July 1957.

This matter is before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from an administrative decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida.


FINDING OF FACT

The Veteran died in June 2017 during the pendency of this appeal.


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. § 7104(a) (2012); 38 C.F.R. § 20.1302 (2017). 


REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDING AND CONCLUSION

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. § 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. § 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; 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. H. Hawley
	Veterans Law Judge, Board of Veterans' Appeals

Department of Veterans Affairs