Undoing Military Asbestos Use

In The Keystone State, the United States Army has created a special team to remove asbestos from one of the largest military bases in Pennsylvania.

“The Letterkenny Army Depot is standing up an abatement team which can be mobilized to perform emergency abatement in response to repairs that involve asbestos or possible asbestos material,” said Vernon Lowe, LEAD safety manager. “This team will be able to respond quickly, reducing the amount of time of potential asbestos exposure to employees. Not only does this improve employee safety, but it also is extremely cost-effective compared to using outside agencies.”

Asbestos abatement is an ongoing problem. LEAD team members say they usually check for and remove asbestos at least three times a year.

Construction workers who built barracks and other military facilities, the servicemembers who worked in those facilities, and the friends and relatives of these individuals are at risk for asbestos exposure illnesses.

Until about 1980, insulation and other companies covered up the health risks of asbestos exposure just so they could keep using this cheap and plentiful substance. That is the classic case of putting profits before people.

Because of this cavalier attitude and also because the evidence is usually clear, an asbestos-exposure lawyer can usually obtain significant compensation in primary exposure cases. In a civil case, compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages may be available as well, in some extreme cases.

Workers typically used chrysotile (white) asbestos, the most dangerous form of asbestos. It is highly toxic and, because of its crumbly construction, breaks down quickly. For these reasons, the Environmental Protection Agency recently banned its use. This rule, not some sense of compassion, is the primary reason the military is now more serious about asbestos abatement.

Toxic exposure illnesses include mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive form of lung cancer. Frequently, doctors do not connect the dots between lung cancer symptoms, such as coughing and trouble breathing, with a stint in the military. That’s especially true because, in many cases, that exposure occurred at least a half-century prior to illness diagnosis.

The delay means that mesothelioma is often in Stage II or III by the time a doctor properly diagnoses it. Since the cancer is already spreading throughout the lungs at that point, treatment options are limited, at best.

Friends and family members of construction workers and servicemembers who contract lung cancer should also ask an asbestos-exposure lawyer to evaluate their cases. Workers often transported fibers on their clothes and hair. These fibers then infected the workers’ friends and loved ones.

A VA disability claim is the go-to option for asbestos exposure lawyers who assist military exposure victims. Benefits are available if a service-related illness causes a total or partial disability. These benefits, which survivors are eligible for as well, usually include a monthly cash stipend and free medical care at VA facilities.

The fact that a victim served in a facility, be it a building, ship, or airplane, built before 1980 is usually sufficient to establish a service-related connection. A C&P (compensation and pension) medical examination usually establishes the medical diagnosis and extent of disability.

Construction or other private sector workers exposed to asbestos often pursue Social Security Disability Insurance claims. These claims resemble VA disability claims in many ways. The major difference is that SSDI benefits are only available if the victim is permanently and totally disabled. Asbestos exposure illnesses are not only totally disabling but also fatal in many cases.

Mesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.