U.S. Navy veterans claims

Navy veterans and their families who lived at bases are facing a high rate of life-threatening conditions, including cancer, due to the chemicals in the water, soil, and facilities. Toxic substances on Navy bases can affect one's health and may result in long-term consequences. Navy veterans who served on these bases may have been exposed to:

• per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances
• cleaning chemicals for general maintenance
• toxic solvents

If you developed one of the following diseases as a result of toxic exposure while stationed at Navy bases & installations, whether you are a veteran or a family member of one, you are entitled to financial compensation through a compensation claim and also additionally through a VA claim.

• Kidney cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Bladder cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Male breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Liver cancer
• Thyroid cancer

Aqueous film-forming foam is the primary firefighting agent used aboard U.S. Navy vessels for flammable liquid fires. The Department of Defense knew that the firefighting foam used on military bases and Navy ships that contains fluorinated surfactants is toxic but continued its use.

Here is a timeline of internal DoD reports detailing how much they knew about the dangers of using PFAS-based firefighting foam:

• 1963 – Navy scientists seek patent for AFFF
• 1966 – Navy granted the patent for AFFF
• 1967 – Navy requires the use of AFFF after fire on the USS Forrestal kills 34 sailors
• 1976 – Navy scientists cite toxic effects of PFAS-containing foams
• 1985 – Navy report again cites harmful effects of AFFF

Firefighting foam has been linked to kidney, testicular, pancreatic, bladder, prostate cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and neuroendocrine tumors in Navy firefighters who were routinely exposed to fluorinated chemicals now known as PFAS, classified as group 2B, a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2016.

If you are a Navy veteran who has experienced one of the conditions mentioned previously and you were exposed to AFFF, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation.

Asbestos products U.S. Navy veterans were exposed to

Although as early as the beginning of the 20^th century there were suspicions regarding the health hazards posed by asbestos, the U.S. administration and private companies refused, for a long time, to investigate the issue and to minimize and regulate the uses of asbestos. The U.S. Navy was among the most reticent; as a result, until the early 1980s asbestos was used in hundreds of products that posed serious health risks for the servicemen and women working in their close proximity:

• insulation
• tiling
• electrical cables
• gaskets
• packing
• sheathing
• roof coating
• siding
• brake linings
• mastics
• spackling

U.S. Navy ships/shipyards are known for asbestos exposure

For the better part of the last century, asbestos was present in over 300 different products on U.S. Navy ships. Consequently, anyone who spent time on a ship or on a shipyard was inevitably exposed to asbestos, which today is known to cause numerous life-threatening diseases.

• lung cancer
• esophageal cancer
• bronchial cancer
• gastrointestinal cancer
• colorectal cancer
• throat cancer
• mesothelioma

Approximately 30% of lung cancer patients are veterans. Find your ship or shipyard:

Areas of the ship with the heaviest asbestos exposure

While asbestos exposure affected everyone who was present on the U.S. Navy ships before 1980, when asbestos use was finally regulated in the military, there were certain areas on the ships where asbestos exposure occurred to a great extent. People who spent a long time in these areas were heavily exposed to asbestos, which may result in the development of a terrible disease over the years. For this reason, we strongly encourage veterans who were present for a long time in the following ship areas to undergo regular medical examination, as they are at high risk of developing a disease such as lung cancer or mesothelioma:

• the damage control room
• the pump room
• the engine room
• the propulsion room
• the boiler room
• the powder and shot magazine
• the pilot house
• the wardroom
• the turret

Navy veterans are commonly misdiagnosed with the wrong pulmonary diseases

It is crucial to know that, because the diseases that can ensue from asbestos exposure take a long time to develop, the risk of illness remains throughout your lifetime if you are a Navy veteran. Another important aspect you should be aware of is that oftentimes, people who come to suffer from such a disease do not experience symptoms until it is too advanced to respond to treatment. Therefore, undergoing regular testing is vital if you have a history of military asbestos exposure. Early diagnosis is instrumental and can even save your life or at least prolong it to a great extent. A simple chest X-ray can reveal the presence of asbestos fibers in your lungs, as well as whether the mineral has caused any damage hitherto. Other important tests and procedures diagnosing asbestos-associated lung diseases include:

• pulmonary function tests
• blood tests
• sputum cytology tests
• ultrasounds
• CT Scans
• MRIs
• PET Scans

If you lost a loved one to asbestos-related cancer, you are eligible for financial compensation

Surviving spouses and dependents of Navy veterans who have died from asbestos-related cancer as a result of their service may be eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation. Since 1990, the lawyers at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C. have been assisting veterans injured by asbestos, who can now easily recover the compensation they deserve. We will also provide legal assistance to families who lost a loved one under these circumstances.

If their loved one has passed away from lung cancer or another asbestos-related disease, family members can also receive compensation from one or more of several trust funds created to pay victims and their families. Because the money comes from the asbestos trust funds which have been set up by liable companies within the past three decades, the legal process involves no litigation and takes significantly less time to complete than a regular lawsuit.