Mesothelioma veterans
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Mesothelioma veterans: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is a monthly benefit paid to the surviving spouse of a veteran who died from a service-related disability. For deaths caused by mesothelioma or lung cancer, the benefit is $1,257.95. If a veteran already was receiving Disability Compensation for mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer before dying, the spouse needs to file a DIC claim.
Submarines gained wide use in World War I, but it was in World War II that U.S. Navy submarines really proved their worth. These underwater vessels, historically named after types of fish, destroyed more Japanese vessels in WWII than all other weapons combined. The brave veterans who served aboard U.S. Navy submarines fired countless torpedoes at the enemy, but their own casualties were high when the enemies caught them underwater.
Secondary Asbestos Exposure in Military Dependents The military’s reliance on asbestos also endangered the families of service members through secondary asbestos exposure. During the peak years of military asbestos use, many veterans brought home asbestos dust on their work clothes and unintentionally exposed their spouses or children to the toxic mineral. Children of servicemen could be exposed when playing with their fathers or hugging them after they returned home from work, and wives often inhaled asbestos while washing the asbestos-laden clothes. These secondary exposures were far less severe than the firsthand exposures that occurred at Navy shipyards, but they still have the potential to cause mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses. Legal advisor Joe Lahav describes the options available to veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma. U.S. Navy Veterans Face Highest Risk for Asbestos Disease U.S. Navy veterans were exposed to higher levels of asbestos than servicemen in other branches of the military because the Navy packed its vessels with asbestos materials from bow to stern. As a result, Navy veterans are diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses at higher rates. The Navy began adding asbestos fireproofing materials to its ships in 1938. The following year, the Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy issued a warning about the dangers of asbestos exposure and the risk for asbestosis in the New York Navy Yard. However, the Navy ignored the warning and increased production of asbestos-laden ships in preparation for World War II. Navy personnel faced exposure risks from the late 1930s to the early 1990s. Asbestos Exposure Continues After Military Service For some veterans who develop mesothelioma, their service is only one component of their asbestos exposure. Many veterans were trained in construction trades by the military, and when they rejoined civilian life, they naturally sought jobs related to the skills they had developed. Many later learned these jobs added to their exposure history, increasing the odds of developing asbestos-related condition years down the line. Mesothelioma typically develops 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Read more about occupational asbestos exposure in the workforce
Some cancers, including mesothelioma, are considered 100 percent disabling. This would qualify a veteran for the maximum monthly benefit, which starts at $2,915.55. Benefits may increase based on the veteran’s number of dependents.
Lung cancer typically only shows symptoms when the disease is advanced, largely going unnoticed in its early stages. The following signs and symptoms should be taken seriously, especially for those who have been exposed to asbestos. Those symptoms include wheezing, chest pain, hoarseness, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, coughing up even small amounts of blood, developing a new cough or a change in a chronic cough, bone pain, and headaches. (Mayo Clinic)
Eligibility for VA health care is based on a series of priorities, including service-related disabilities, income levels, and special circumstances. The VA encourages all veterans to apply to the organization can determine their eligibility.
Factories, steel mills, and shipyards were particularly active as the war progressed, so much so that many women were called into the workforce to make up for the absence of men, who had been called to military service. WWII workers and veterans were frequently completely unaware of the asbestos exposure in these jobs. Today, many people who suffered asbestos exposure during WWII, including veterans and their family members, are just now being diagnosed with diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. In fact, the diagnosis of WWII veterans with mesothelioma is one of the key factors helping scientists to make the connection between asbestos and mesothelioma. In the years between 1973 and 1984, there was a threefold increase in the diagnosis of mesothelioma (pleural mesothelioma) among white males in the United States – that is, about 30-35 years after World War II, the mesothelioma cancer rate tripled. As people started to show the symptoms of asbestos cancer diseases, science was bound to sit up and take notice of the causes of mesothelioma. Veterans now have some treatment options as a result of these scientific studies.
Since mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20-40 years or more, many World War II-era veterans only recently began to suffer the symptoms of this asbestos-related lung cancer. Our New York mesothelioma lawsuit attorney and the team at The Williams Law Firm, P.C. understand the physical, financial and emotional impacts of this disease, and we are proud to be advocates for asbestos-exposure victims from "The Greatest Generation" along with their families. If you or your family has been affected, our firm is ready to hear your story.
Though asbestos is now broadly recognized as a dangerous material, for much of the twentieth century, its toxicity was unknown and it was valued for its ability to maintain fires and heat. Therefore, it quickly became a commonly used building material, especially within the military. Until the 1970’s, asbestos was commonly used in military products ranging from tanks to basic construction materials to the hulls and lining of ships. For decades, military members worked in conditions enduring long-term asbestos exposure without the knowledge that it was dangerous. (Trauma and Resiliency Resources) This has led to a high number of veterans suffering from asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer. (Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation)
Unfortunately, veterans suffering from mesothelioma are not allowed to seek compensation from the government through the legal system. However, they can still receive benefits through the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). This government agency can assist veterans and discuss their options. It assists veterans with a variety of issues, including finding jobs, getting home loans, acquiring more education and even getting disability compensation for injuries received during service.
Some cancers, including mesothelioma, are considered 100 percent disabling. This would qualify a veteran for the maximum monthly benefit, which starts at $2,915.55. Benefits may increase based on the veteran’s number of dependents.
Lung cancer typically only shows symptoms when the disease is advanced, largely going unnoticed in its early stages. The following signs and symptoms should be taken seriously, especially for those who have been exposed to asbestos. Those symptoms include wheezing, chest pain, hoarseness, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, coughing up even small amounts of blood, developing a new cough or a change in a chronic cough, bone pain, and headaches. (Mayo Clinic)
Eligibility for VA health care is based on a series of priorities, including service-related disabilities, income levels, and special circumstances. The VA encourages all veterans to apply to the organization can determine their eligibility.
Factories, steel mills, and shipyards were particularly active as the war progressed, so much so that many women were called into the workforce to make up for the absence of men, who had been called to military service. WWII workers and veterans were frequently completely unaware of the asbestos exposure in these jobs. Today, many people who suffered asbestos exposure during WWII, including veterans and their family members, are just now being diagnosed with diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. In fact, the diagnosis of WWII veterans with mesothelioma is one of the key factors helping scientists to make the connection between asbestos and mesothelioma. In the years between 1973 and 1984, there was a threefold increase in the diagnosis of mesothelioma (pleural mesothelioma) among white males in the United States – that is, about 30-35 years after World War II, the mesothelioma cancer rate tripled. As people started to show the symptoms of asbestos cancer diseases, science was bound to sit up and take notice of the causes of mesothelioma. Veterans now have some treatment options as a result of these scientific studies.
Since mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20-40 years or more, many World War II-era veterans only recently began to suffer the symptoms of this asbestos-related lung cancer. Our New York mesothelioma lawsuit attorney and the team at The Williams Law Firm, P.C. understand the physical, financial and emotional impacts of this disease, and we are proud to be advocates for asbestos-exposure victims from "The Greatest Generation" along with their families. If you or your family has been affected, our firm is ready to hear your story.
Though asbestos is now broadly recognized as a dangerous material, for much of the twentieth century, its toxicity was unknown and it was valued for its ability to maintain fires and heat. Therefore, it quickly became a commonly used building material, especially within the military. Until the 1970’s, asbestos was commonly used in military products ranging from tanks to basic construction materials to the hulls and lining of ships. For decades, military members worked in conditions enduring long-term asbestos exposure without the knowledge that it was dangerous. (Trauma and Resiliency Resources) This has led to a high number of veterans suffering from asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer. (Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation)
Unfortunately, veterans suffering from mesothelioma are not allowed to seek compensation from the government through the legal system. However, they can still receive benefits through the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). This government agency can assist veterans and discuss their options. It assists veterans with a variety of issues, including finding jobs, getting home loans, acquiring more education and even getting disability compensation for injuries received during service.