Mesothelioma & Asbestos-Related VA Claims

Widely used by every U.S. military branch, and especially by the Navy, asbestos products were heavily applied and highly regarded for their heat resistance and fireproofing properties. Due to widespread usage, hundreds of thousands, if not millions of veterans were exposed to toxic asbestos-containing materials during military service. As a result, more than 30 percent of Americans beset with mesothelioma (an asbestos-induced cancer that attacks the internal lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart) were exposed to asbestos during military service. Though the Navy has chosen not to assemble statistics in relation to how many naval veterans have suffered from asbestos-related diseases, other resources of statistical data indicate 26 percent of mesothelioma patients are Navy veterans and shipyard workers. In addition, naval veterans also account for 16 percent of asbestos-related lung cancer and 13 percent of severe respiratory diseases.

Seeking Compensation

As is the case in practically all asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits, a claim is filed against the manufacturers of asbestos products, not employers that used asbestos products without knowledge of the hazardous effects. Aside from filing a claim against the asbestos manufacturer responsible for exposure, ailing veterans do have the legal option to seek assistance through The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA).

Veterans are permitted to apply for VA benefits for asbestos-related diseases, but illnesses such as mesothelioma are not always recognized by the VA as a"service-connected" medical condition, which makes it extremely difficult to claim and receive benefits. The resources at Asbestos.com offer assistance, free of cost, to veterans applying for benefits. We have knowledgeable veterans on staff that can make the process easier and help you receive benefits from the VA system. For more information, please call 800-615-2270 or fill out the form on the right to receive an information packet.

VA Benefits

Established on March 15, 1989, the VA succeeded the Veterans Administration that was founded in 1930. The VA is a government-run benefit system created for U.S. military veterans, which is responsible for administering benefit programs to veterans, their families, and survivors of veterans (collectively encompassing 74.5 million potentially eligible individuals). Benefits offered to veterans include disability compensation, pension, life insurance, home loans, education, vocational rehabilitation, survivors' benefits, and medical and burial benefits. This incredibly complex system comprises the second-largest federal department (after the Department of Defense).

Due to the complexity of the system, filing a claim to receive benefits from the VA is notoriously challenging. Eligibility for benefits for the VA's medical program is defined by a classification system that categorizes veterans based upon a series of "priorities", which can be perplexing to define and appear to be subjectively limiting. For example, veterans exposed to toxic herbicides such as Agent Orange during the Vietnam War are classified as a "priority 6" (on a scale from 1-8, 1 being the highest priority)-but veterans exposed to asbestos during service that consequently developed mesothelioma are not assigned any priority whatsoever.