Yes, there is a link between veterans of all branches of the armed forces and mesothelioma, here in New Orleans, Louisiana and across the country as well. Because asbestos is so resistant to heat and such an excellent fireproofing material, the military came to rely on it in a wide array of applications – from tanks and trucks to ships and airplanes to housing and offices. Veterans who served prior to approximately 1980 are likely to have had the most exposure during their service, but the problem of asbestos exposure for veterans doesn’t end there.
The military excels at training individuals to perform highly skilled work, and when service members left to return to the civilian workforce, they applied those skills to earn their living. There are a number of military jobs that have an especially strong link to mesothelioma because exposure to asbestos continued for many people throughout their civilian career.
Specialists like electricians, plumbers, mechanics, construction teams, and industrial workers were exposed to asbestos throughout their early years in the trades on the military side, and later went to work in the same fields in civilian life, creating a continuous, career-long loop of asbestos exposure. Members of all military branches are affected, but Navy vets have a particularly strong risk. Naval vessels in use between the 1930s and the 1970s included asbestos nearly everywhere, so all work specialties are likely to have been affected.
There is top-flight medical treatment from the VA for veterans with mesothelioma and compensation is also available for veterans whose service to their country has left them fighting mesothelioma later in life. Call The Gertler Law Firm at (504) 581-6411 and talk to a mesothelioma compensation specialist for free.
