Mesothelioma & How It Affects Veterans

Mesothelioma & How It Affects Veterans

Mesothelioma & How It Affects Veterans: It would amaze to realize that the majority of those suffering from Mesothelioma are military veterans.

The United States, military veterans see a lot of this. Each department of the Armed Forces relied on asbestos for many years but did not realize that it could trigger mesothelioma or other fatal illnesses. Today, those suffering from mesothelioma may be eligible for VA benefits and receive legal compensation.

Veterans and Asbestos Exposure:

U.S. veterans are at the highest chance of contracting mesothelioma. They are the most prone. This is cancer that is caused by asbestos exposure. Each branch of the army relied upon asbestos from the 1930s until the beginning of the 1980s, because asbestos was affordable and resistant to heat and fire.

Asbestos-containing products can be used in the military

Aircraft
Bases
Equipment
Ships
Vehicles

The military was not aware of the risks of asbestos, as manufacturers hid details about asbestos from the private sector, the government as well as the general public. Now, it would seem that the effects are catching up with them.

Because of these companies’ infractions, you could be qualified for VA benefits and other types of compensation if you have developed mesothelioma due to being on active duty.

Mesothelioma Veterans Benefits:

With the help of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), You might be eligible to receive low-cost treatments for mesothelioma and monthly financial installments.

Find out more information about the top VA benefits.

VA Disability Compensation:

This is a benefit that provides former military personnel with cash every month to pay for basic living expenses as well as medical expenses. You are not going to be asked to pay tax on disability benefits, and it’s not dependent on your income or work history.

Mesothelioma receives a 100 percent disability rate from the VA and you could be eligible for the highest amount of money from an injury claim if you have been diagnosed with cancer as a result of asbestos-related service exposure.

VA Pension:

A VA pension is a benefit that is offered to veterans who served during the war and whose earnings fall below a specific limit. VA pensions pay the amount that is the difference between your earnings and your maximum rate of pension established by Congress.

A team comprised of patient advocates and certified VA lawyers will help you determine whether you are eligible in the process of obtaining a VA pension.

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC):

SMC may be available when you suffer from a condition that requires medical treatment from another. The VA considers mesothelioma as a total disability. This means that you are eligible for SMC.

VA Health Care for Mesothelioma Treatment:

Through the VA Health Care System, you have access to both conventional treatments as well as clinical trials to test the effectiveness of new treatments — for very little or no cost. The VA offers mesothelioma therapies in several hospitals across the United States.

VA Hospitals for Mesothelioma:

Three medical facilities are currently offering specific treatments for mesothelioma that include chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation.

How to File a Mesothelioma VA Benefits Claim:

In order to make a VA request, the applicant has to complete a form that explains the mesothelioma that you have inherited from the military and also why you require specific benefits. This can help fast track the process.

You might require these items to submit a VA claim for benefits:

– The evidence that you were not in a dishonorable discharge
– Medical records that prove that you have mesothelioma
– Evidence that links military service with asbestos exposure (like the history of military jobs)
– A physician’s report states that asbestos is the reason you developed cancer you have.

It is possible that you don’t remember when you were exposed to asbestos, at what time, or in which location the asbestos exposure occurred however, a knowledgeable and accredited attorney with VA accreditation can assist you to get this information in order to submit your claim.

Which Military Branches Used Asbestos?

The entire U.S. Armed Forces used asbestos up to the 1980s However, some veterans were at an increased danger of exposure than others. Let’s explore this more below:

Asbestos Exposure in the Navy:

Nearly every Navy ship built between the 1930s and the late 1970s was equipped with asbestos-containing items as a result of a federal mandate. The belief was that asbestos would be a safe way to safeguard ships from corrosion and fire. This meant that U.S. Navy veterans were at the highest chance of being exposed.

Navy ships were typically restricted as well as poorly ventilated which made it nearly impossible to avoid asbestos exposure. Rooms for boilers and engine rooms were especially dangerous to asbestos exposure. Certain Navy Sailors were directly involved with asbestos-containing items such as boilers, pipes, and gaskets, which put them in greater danger.

Navy jobs that had high risks of asbestos exposure include:

Technicians for the boiler
Seabees
Enginemen
Machinist’s friends

Asbestos Exposure in the Air Force:

U.S. Air Force veterans who regularly worked on planes faced the chance of exposure to asbestos since asbestos-containing parts were employed to prevent aircraft from coming on fire.

Products containing asbestos utilized by Air Force personnel Air Force included:

Brake pads
Engine and Cockpit insulation
Materials for fireproofing
Gaskets
Paint
Sealants
Pilots mechanics, and crew members, like gunners too, could have been subjected to asbestos.

Asbestos Exposure in the Army:

Asbestos can be present in Army automobile parts, such as gaskets, construction materials, paint, and insulation. Anyone who worked in Army bases or vehicles may have been exposed to asbestos, certain U.S. Army veterans were in contact with the mineral that is dangerous daily.

Army jobs that carry high risks of exposure to asbestos included:

Construction workers
Firefighters
Electricians
Mechanics
Pipefitters

Asbestos Exposure in the Coast Guard:

Similar to Navy as well, similarly to the Navy, Coast Guard heavily relied on asbestos-based products for the construction of their vessels. People who worked on vessels as well as within Coast Guard shipyards had a high risk of exposure because of this.

Other high risk Coast Guard jobs included:

Technicians for the boiler
Insulators
Electricians
Pipefitters

Asbestos Exposure in the Marine Corps:

It is believed that the Marine Corps worked alongside other branches of the Armed Forces but also operated independently. Due to this, there is a myriad of ways Marine veterans might be exposed to asbestos.

Marines could be exposed to asbestos as a result of:

Living quarters and bases
Air Force planes
Navy ships
Vehicles

U.S. Marine Corps veterans were at especially high risk when they were assigned to duty aboard Navy ships.

Secondhand Asbestos Exposure in Military Families:

Family members who resided on bases for military personnel were susceptible to asbestos exposure through secondhand sources. As an example the case where military personnel had asbestos particles on their clothing when they returned home, asbestos particles could be in the air loved ones breathed in.

Modern-Day Military Asbestos Exposure:

The military did remove literally tons of asbestos off its structures vessels, vehicles, and buildings in the 80s, and certain soldiers are exposed to asbestos even now.

Asbestos Exposure After the Military:

As with that of the military, the private industry also employed asbestos during the 20th century which means that both civilians and former military personnel could have been exposed to blue-collar jobs.

Jobs that carry high risks of asbestos exposure are:

Automotive workers
Carpenters
Electricians
Factory workers
Firefighters
Miners
Plumbers
Railroad workers
Roofers
Welders

Apparently, a lot of people were exposed to Asbestos and not just the military. Other white collar jobbers and even the families of these people were also possibly exposed to it.

File for Mesothelioma VA Benefits and Compensation:

If you’re a veteran suffering from mesothelioma, you should not wait to apply for VA benefits as well as other forms of compensation. You have served the country with pride, therefore you should receive prompt medical attention and compensation if you fall sick.

You could engage a lawyer to seek compensation from asbestos trust funds as well as mesothelioma litigation.