Veterans & Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma Lawyers Belluck & Fox

Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of U.S. military service personnel and civilian employees, were exposed to asbestos between World War II and 1980. Asbestos exposure has been linked to deadly respiratory diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis, a chronic scarring of the lung. Veterans account for nearly 30 percent of all cases of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lung or abdomen.

Personnel who may have been exposed to asbestos include anyone who was on a ship or a military shipping installation, including U.S. Navy or Merchant Marine shipyards. Because asbestos-related diseases take up to 60 years to appear, veterans exposed to asbestos in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s may only now be experiencing symptoms of the disease.

The most common way that military personnel and civilian employees inhaled asbestos fibers was in the workplace. Asbestos was widely used in military applications between the 1940s and 1970s, and the nature of some military jobs put workers at a greater risk of asbestos exposure. Some jobs required workers to cut asbestos-containing materials, causing the release of microscopic asbestos fibers into the air. Other personnel worked in close quarters, such as ship engine rooms, where loose asbestos fibers circulated in the air. Asbestos was used in equipment in boiler rooms and engine rooms of ships. It also was used in numerous products, including gaskets, pumps, valves, boilers and turbines.

Veterans exposed to asbestos during their active duty who are diagnosed with mesothelioma are eligible for service connection benefits. The VA — the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — processes applications for these benefits.

But the benefits are not automatically granted to all service personnel and are generally not enough to cover your medical expenses and suffering. If veterans were exposed to asbestos during military service, they have a legal right to seek compensation from asbestos manufacturers in court. Veterans who develop mesothelioma and lung cancer should contact a lawyer immediately.

Belluck & Fox LLP is a nationally recognized law firm whose attorneys represent individuals with asbestos and mesothelioma claims by filing lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers and employers. Our attorneys have won more than $220 million in compensation for our clients and their families. We can help you. For more information, contact the firm at 877-MESOTHELIOMA (637-6843) or through the online contact form.

Click here for contact information for the VA and for a listing of state veteran service organizations.

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Mesothelioma Web Network

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Mesothelioma Was Preventable, Click to Learn More

In past decades, workers in many industries did not know that the air they were breathing was filled with toxic fibers. But the companies that sold asbestos products knew or should have known that they were putting the very lives of workers in jeopardy. Unfortunately, the companies recklessly pursued profits while risking workers’ health. It is commonly accepted that even small amounts of asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma and other serious respiratory diseases. Even the simplest, least-expensive precautions -- for example, requiring workers to wear dust masks or to shower and change clothes at the end of a shift -- would have helped protect them and their families from deadly asbestos-related diseases. But asbestos companies chose not to warn workers of its potential hazards and continued using the mineral from the 1920s to the 1970s and 1980s, when the asbestos was finally removed from most products.

Lung Disease Lawyer

Perhaps you or a loved one has recently received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, and you have questions about your legal options. The experienced mesothelioma attorneys at Belluck & Fox understand the serious consequences of asbestos-related disease and the suffering it causes. We believe it’s important to hold accountable the asbestos companies and manufacturers whose reckless and negligent acts caused people to develop mesothelioma and other deadly diseases. We bring legal action to help mesothelioma victims and their families recover the money they need for their medical bills and other expenses.

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How Were You Exposed to Asbestos? Click to Learn More

Today, most products do not contain asbestos. But until the 1980s, many building products and types of machinery contained asbestos -- and it is still used in some products today, such as automobile brake linings. You may have been exposed to asbestos in the Navy or in an industry such as shipbuilding, construction, automobile repair, mining, textile mills, sheet metal, plumbing and paper mills. For decades, asbestos materials were commonly used in those industries and trades. You may have been exposed in your home. Asbestos was also used in the Navy. Some families of asbestos workers were exposed through the dust their family members brought home from work on their clothing and shoes.

Lung Cancer Attorneys

However you were exposed to asbestos, you have suffered a serious harm through no fault of your own. You have a legal right to hold those responsible accountable for their recklessness. by filing a lawsuit. While no amount of money can compensate for the damage to your health or the loss of a loved one, you shouldn’t have to worry about how to pay the medical bills or provide for your family while you are confronting this devastating disease.

Article Summary: Veterans & Mesothelioma

All branches of the U.S. military used asbestos during much of the 20th century. Yet many veterans are only now experiencing symptoms of mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos in the 1940s through 1970s because of the long latency period of asbestos-related diseases. Asbestos was widely used on ships and in shipyards in the United States Navy.

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