Assistance for VAs: Center for Minority Veterans
The contact information for Center for Minority Veterans is 810 Vermont Ave. NW Washington, DC 20420 Phone: (800) 827-1000.
Do you fit the description below? If so, you may want to consider getting tested for exposure to asbestos. First of all, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if exposure to asbestos is an issue. These topics include: Do you think you have had prolonged exposure to asbestos? Are you an immediate family member of someone who has worked in asbestos-related industries? Have you worked somewhere where asbestos insulation was used? Is it possible your exposure to asbestos was in the form of a "burst exposure" (a very heavy concentration) to asbestos for short periods of time? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.
In general, there is a group of diseases that have been linked to asbestos exposure: Mesothelioma (a cancer of the thin membranes lining the thoracic and abdominal cavities and surrounding internal organs), asbestosis (a serious, chronic, non cancerous fibrous hardening and scarring of the lungs), lung cancer, and pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung). The main indicators of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, these warning signs of contact with asbestos can appear up to 25 years after initial exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.
If you need more information from your doctor, don't be afraid to ask.It is important that the other testing is an x-ray (side and front view of your chest.) Further tests may include a pulmonary function test, blood work, a CT scan and/or biopsy. Doctors sometimes speak a language unintelligible to the layman. All those who have participated in the United States Armed Forces should receive the benefits they deserve. Weitz & Luxenberg is committed to making this happen. This includes compensation for life-threatening diseases that are caused by exposure to asbestos, such as mesothelioma.
If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos, we want to help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below initiates the process.
your next step . . .
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Find out more about help for Veterans available at Center for Women Veterans