ASBESTOS DISEASE
Asbestos-related lung diseases are prevalent among U.S. Navy veterans

April 13, 2009 -- The son of a Korean War Navy veteran diagnosed with asbestos lung disease recently wrote to Weitz & Luxenberg for legal guidance. In communicating with our lawyers, he described his father’s symptoms. “He is slowly suffocating when walking upstairs and even driving his car winds him.”

Asbestos lung disease common among veterans

During World War II, when U.S. shipbuilding was at its peak, asbestos was generously applied everywhere above and below deck (especially as insulation around hot pipes and machinery) to help prevent fires at sea during likely combat situations. As a result, Navy veterans represent one of the largest groups at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases -- mesothelioma being the most deadly of these diseases.

A concerned son continues his letter: “My Dad is a U.S. Navy veteran serving off the Korean coast during that war. He always said he slept just below the ship's pipes that were covered with asbestos. We never thought it was part of his problems today. We are now considering a bed so he can sleep sitting up. He uses oxygen during the day, and we are looking into him moving to a house without stairs. Is there any recourse for us?”

A mesothelioma lawyer from Weitz & Luxenberg can help veterans secure financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and physical suffering. Our firm is known coast-to-coast in the United States and Canada for achieving record-setting verdicts and settlements for just these kind of cases. Surviving family members stand to benefit, as well.

An entire generation of well-intentioned naval veterans from the Korean War and Viet Nam eras are now at risk for developing mesothelioma or another asbestos-related injury. Other diseases linked to asbestos include lung cancer and asbestosis. Mesothelioma, known as the signature asbestos cancer, can take years to appear and is generally not diagnosed until decades after the initial exposure. Due to this long latency period, mesothelioma cases are not expected to peak for another 10 or 20 years in this country.

Veterans suffer asbestos lung disease

Protect your family’s financial future. If you or a relative have been diagnosed with a work-related asbestos disease, you are very likely incurring unaffordable medical bills, especially if the sufferer is the chief breadwinner for the family.

We urge you to protect your family’s future well-being by consulting a mesothelioma lawyer at Weitz & Luxenberg. We will evaluate your eligibility for monetary compensation at no cost. We will answer your questions and address all your concerns for free.

If you decide to proceed with a lawsuit, there is still no charge until we win a verdict or settlement in your favor. Act now by contacting New York City’s top asbestos injury law firm through the communication form on this page. We’re here for you.