Ever since the era of World War II, military personell have unknowingly found themselves in the face of numerous types of asbestos exposure. Despite bans on most asbestos materials today, untold damage has been done and various dangers still remain. As such, asbestos exposure is a hidden epidemic in teh lives of military veterans. Here’s what you should know about it and what you can do if you have been exposed to asbestos as a military servicemember. 

A History of Asbestos in the United States Military

It is hard to overstate just how pervasive asbestos usage was in the United States military for numerous decades. In fact, it can be argued that military servicemembers have been exposed to more pervasive amounts of asbestos than most industries by comparison. For all the benefits of using asbestos in production and added durability for other types of materials, insulation ranks as one of the highest occurrences of asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). 

Asbestos is one of the most fireproof materials known to humans.

Because of its fireproofing qualities, asbestos was once used for aislamiento in houses and other structures, but it could also be used as a wrapping material or sprayed application for piping and other components that see high levels of heat exchange. When we think about military aircrafts, ships, tanks, other vessels, and even tanks, it’s hard to overstate the need for sufficient fireproofing and insulating properties. 

Asbestos was used in ships, vehicles, buildings, products and even uniforms in the military.

When service members are deployed in combat or travel situations, it is important to get supplies and personnel from point A to point B safely, reducing the risk of fire and combustion at all costs. Unfortunately, the cost for a very long time was the health of military service members. The United States military was once the largest purchaser of ACMs, specifically asbestos-containing insulation. This was during the era in American history before the Environmental Protection Agency banned most applications of asbestos. 

No one batted an eye at the high levels of asbestos present on these modes of transportation, fighting vessels, barracks, and refit facilities. Such pervasive use of asbestos was commonplace, but the tide was turning, thanks to the widespread amount of lawsuits and medical research finally seeing the light of day. Unfortunately, this came well after the era of widespread asbestos present during World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and even Operation Iraqi Freedom. But it wasn’t only the presence of asbestos on vessels. 

Removal Came After the Damage Was Done

After the 1980s, asbestos was being removed from ships and aircrafts, but there were literally tons of ACMs still present. Notoriously, the military uses hoyos para quemar to dispose of materials when located internationally, such as American military installations present throughout the world abroad. These burn pits have been noted as sources of exposure for over 1,000 known carcinogens, including asbestos. 

Countless veterans have contracted asbestos-related diseases and other health conditions because of their direct involvement or close proximity to these burn pits. This kind of environmental exposure can lead to things such as gastric cancer, as well as esophageal, stomach and colorectal cancer.

Second-hand asbestos exposure (domestic / family / household exposure)

The problem also extends to spouses of veterans who were unknowingly exposed to asbestos being carried into the home from clothing or tools. For veterans and family members alike, any source of asbestos exposure can lead to debilitating health conditions, which often occur decades after exposure. One study notes that even in the case of non-cancerous pleural plaques, evidence suggests that people with pleural disease caused by exposure to asbestos may be at increased risk for lung cancer.

How to Respond and Seek Compensation

What should veterans do, especially if they determine that they have been exposed to asbestos and have contracted some type of asbestos-related illness or cancer? It should be noted that there is some financial assistance through workers compensation and veterans disability, but unfortunately, these difficult processes often do not secure enough compensation to pay for treatments. What’s more, they are painstakingly slow processes.

Cancer drugs in general can cost up to $100,000 a year, and the trend of health insurers has been to increasingly shift costs to patients. 

Even in remission, studies show that cancer survivors pay more out of pocket for their medical care than other medical patients. The cost of treatment alone is enough to paralyze people from knowing what to do, especially for veterans who have served their country and want to have the best quality of life for the remainder of their lives.

While such a situation may seem dire, it’s important to know that there are other options available. Is it possible to hold asbestos companies accountable, even for the companies that are long gone or defunct from dealing with prior asbestos lawsuits? While many companies are in fact defunct, their legacy of pain and suffering remains in the buildings, cement, and the bodies of many people.

Asbestos Trust Funds

It can seem too little too late to hold such companies accountable, but there are options. In the case of many of these now defunct companies, the writing was on the wall. They understood that the truth about asbestos was coming to light, and many of them set up court-ordered protocols to pay victims their much-needed compensation. This is known as asbestos trust funds. 

There are billions of dollars in asbestos trusts, but many people do not know they qualify to file a claim.

These funds exist as ways for victims to receive compensation quickly and easily, without the need to file a lawsuit or go through the long and rocky process of formal litigation. Collectively these trusts still number beyond $30 billion dollars of unused funds. What’s more, those who seek veterans disability or workers compensation are not disqualified from using asbestos trust funds, nor is it required to only use one trust fund. 

In many cases, veterans qualify for multiple trust funds, and this collective process can help you secure the most compensation overall. 

While there are formal qualifications and a time-sensitive nature to each asbestos trust fund still in existence, our professionals at asbestosclaims.law are capable of helping you through the entire qualification process, risk-free. If you or someone you know is a veteran in need of compensation, reach out to us today. We’ll help you through the entire process from start to finish.