Noteboom The Law Firm

Veteran’s Claim Delayed Due to Document Translation

According to an article in The St. Petersburg Times, Edgar Freyre has been fighting for his veterans disability claim since 1967 and is now facing a longer wait time due to a document written in Spanish.

In the time since Freyre first filed for a disability pension, his claim had been delayed from doctors, examiners, lack of records, and more. Most recently, Freyre put up with another 6-month delay because of his last document submission was written in Spanish.

The document was a history of the unit in which Freyre served, which was an “all-Puerto Rican outfit . . . decimated in the Korean War.” There was no reason for Freyre to submit the document other than to show his pride in the unit.

Freyre is bilingual and gave no consideration to what language the article was written in before he had it submitted. The Board of Veterans Appeals, where Freyre’s current claim is being processed, alerted Freyre his case was being sent back to the VA Regional Office so the document can be translated.

The VA spent the last 6 months translating that document and is now sending Freyre’s claim back to the Board of Veterans Appeals. Despite calls from both Freyre and his attorney, the process could not be sped up. According to the VA, there was no delay due to translation, but rather the delay was due to “the volume of appeals and the detailed review required.”

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.