The process of applying for–and eventually receiving–Veterans disability benefits that one is eligible for can be lengthy, but for many Veterans the wait was fatally too long. According to a New York Daily News report, about 53 Veterans die every day waiting for their benefits to kick in. Advocates blame the lengthy wait on an ineffective bureaucracy. According to a report released in 2013 by the Department of Veteran Affairs, processing a Veteran’s disability claim took about 272 days.
A CBS 11 News article told the story one Veteran who died while waiting for a decision on his appeal of a disability claim he filed in 1979 for injuries from exposure to Agent Orange. According to his widow, after the VA denied her husband’s claim, he spent the next 12 years of his life appealing the VA’s decision, growing sicker and undergoing numerous surgeries before passing away in 1991. His widow continued to fight for her husband’s benefits after he died and would be denied several times before hiring an attorney who specializes in VA benefits law. She was awarded widows’ benefits in December of 2012, but she continues to fight for the disability benefits her husband died fighting for–22 years after his death.
If you are one of the many Veterans who filed a disability claim and still have gotten a decision, or your claim has been denied, consult with an attorney who specializes in VA benefits who will work diligently to get you the benefits you deserve.
