Information for VAs
Contact information for Central Alabama Veterans Health Care SystemWest Campus is 215 Perry Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36109-3798 Phone: (334) 272-4670 or (800) 214-8387.
Read below to see if you may be at risk for exposure to asbestos. First off, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if asbestos exposure is an issue. These are: 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: lung cancer, asbestosis (a serious, chronic, non cancerous fibrous hardening and scarring of the lungs), mesothelioma (a cancer of the thin membranes lining the thoracic and abdominal cavities and surrounding internal organs), and pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung). The most commonly known symptoms of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, these signs of asbestos exposure can appear up to 25 years after primary exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.
If you don't understand your doctor's explanation, get him or her to explain it in a way that you can understand. It is necessary 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. Weitz & Luxenberg is a proponent of the idea that all those who have participated in the U.S. Armed orces should receive the benefits they deserve. This includes compensation for life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer.
If you or someone you love has developed lung cancer after exposure to asbestos, we want to help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below begins the process.
your next step . . .
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Discover more about services for Veterans available at Central Alabama Veterans Health Care SystemWest Campus