Citation Nr: 21023456
Decision Date: 04/20/21	Archive Date: 04/20/21

DOCKET NO. 16-34 866
DATE: April 20, 2021

ORDER

The appeal for entitlement to service connection for coronary artery disease is dismissed.

The appeal for entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability is dismissed.

The appeal for entitlement to special monthly compensation based on the regular need for aid and attendance is dismissed.

The appeal for entitlement to nonservice-connected pension is dismissed.  

FINDING OF FACT

In April 2021, the Board was notified that the Veteran died in October 2020.

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

The Veteran served on active duty in the U.S. Army from March 1953 to March 1954.  The Veteran died in October 2020.

These matters come before the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) on appeal from a January 2015 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO).

Dismissal

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.  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.

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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.  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 claims originated.  38 C.F.R. § 3.1010(b).

 

 

LESLEY A. REIN

Veterans Law Judge

Board of Veterans’ Appeals

Attorney for the Board	Journet Shaw, Counsel

The Board’s decision in this case is binding only with respect to the instant matter decided. This decision is not precedential and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1303.