Air Force veterans suffering from asbestos exposure may be entitled to compensation

Every day Air Force veteran Richard Young must use supplemental oxygen therapy to help him breathe. Even at night he is forced to sleep with oxygen tubes inserted into his nostrils. Young has asbestosis, a painful respiratory disease caused by inhaling airborne asbestos fibers. From 1951-1955, Young was an engine mechanic at the Travis Air Force base in California. It was during his service for the country that he developed asbestosis after being constantly exposed to asbestos.

“I put asbestos gaskets into aircraft engines,” Young explained. “I continued as an aerospace mechanic at Edwards Air Force Base testing rocket engines. Because of the heat generated by the engines, we would protect the engine and the test stand with asbestos blankets.”

Young was made to endure even more suffering when his wife began dying from brain cancer after he developed asbestosis. “My wife died of brain cancer. I wanted to take care of her but I could not because the asbestosis made me too weak,” he said. We enjoyed our motor home and had planned to do more traveling…”

As one of the nation’s leading law firms, Weitz & Luxenberg has specialized in asbestos litigation for over two decades, especially with respect to military veterans. In 1991, we won a historic consolidated trial involving men who had worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in the 1940s and 1950s. The founding senior partner of our firm, Perry Weitz, was personally involved in this case, which represented 36 clients, and ended up securing verdicts of $75 million. We believe that the country should band together to make sure veterans such as yourself receive the legal help to which they're entitled. Please continue to browse our website for further information and updates.

There is no cure for asbestosis, but treatments are available that can help to prevent the progression of the disease and relieve symptoms.  Asbestosis is non-cancerous, but it is a potentially deadly disease that leaves veterans struggling with a variety of symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, a crackling sound in the chest or fingernail abnormalities or “clubbing” of the fingers, a deformity where the tips of the fingers spread out and become rounder.

Asbestos was used frequently to build Air Force bases in the United States and abroad. The cancerous carcinogen was routinely added to concrete blocks used in foundations, roofing shingles and tar, floor and ceiling tiles and wallboard and joining compounds. It was also used to insulate hot water pipes, hot water tanks, ducts for heating and cooling systems and spaces around fireplaces and heaters.

Many who worked in the air force have come forward to say their work environment led to a diagnosis of asbestosis,  mesothelioma, or lung cancer from asbestos. If this has been your father’s or your grandfather’s experience, our asbestos lawyers may be able to help him recover the cost of medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. Your father or grandfather may be eligible to receive compensation to help pay for necessary medical treatment and ensure the best care possible.

For over two decades, Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. has handled some of the most legally complicated and groundbreaking asbestos litigation in the country, winning many millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements along the way. If you would like a free consultation or more information about legal options, please complete the form on this page, and a representative of our law firm will contact you as soon as possible.