Bendit Weinstock partner, Joseph H. Tringali, Esq. was retained to assist an honorably discharged marine who had his monthly benefits garnished because a branch of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs determined that the veteran was a fugitive felon because he had an open warrant pending against him for the period 2006 through 2012. The department took a position that the veteran had to repay approximately $225,000 due to the veteran’s ineligibility to collect monthly benefits for the six (6) year period when the warrant was pending.
Mr. Tringali is a registered Veteran Affairs attorney representative, and he is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims. Mr. Tringali filed an administrative appeal challenging the benefits determination and submitted medical records which highlighted that the veteran suffered from schizophrenia and that he received a police escort to the hospital on several documented occasions during the relevant period. The veteran was unaware of the warrant, the police never raised the issue of a warrant while the veteran was in police custody, and Mr. Tringali argued that the veteran surrendered himself to police on several occasions.
After some additional administrative requirements were satisfied, the department agreed with the veteran’s position. As a result, the department returned all of the monthly benefits that had been garnished since 2017 which exceeded $100,000 and reinstated the veteran’s monthly benefits.
Mr. Tringali and Bendit Weinstock were proud to be a part of a matter wherein a veteran’s rights were successfully pursued, and justice prevailed.
Mr. Tringali is the Chair of the Commercial Group at Bendit Weinstock, and his contact information can be found on the firm’s website, www.BenditWeinstock.com.