MESOTHELIOMA SEAMEN
One-third of all mesothelioma victims are retired seamen, says U.S. Senator

One-third of mesothelioma victims were exposed to asbestos during military service as seamen in the U.S. Navy, according to a new report by a Washington state senator.

Weitz & Luxenberg recognizes the Senator's tireless efforts to ban asbestos in America. Since 1986, our law firm has protected the legal rights of Naval veterans and shipyard workers poisoned by asbestos. And in that time the firm's mesothelioma lawyers have won several billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for seamen injured by asbestos exposure.

NEWS BULLETIN

September 1, 2009 - About 33 percent of all people in the United States who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma were seamen exposed to asbestos during active duty, according to a report by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) titled “Asbestos.”

Senator Murray’s eight-year crusade to ban asbestos in the United States began in 2001, when she held her first hearing on the subject. In June 2002, Murray introduced her first bill to ban asbestos, and in March 2007, she reintroduced her latest bill, “The Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007.”

"Many Americans think asbestos was banned, but it wasn't," according to the report. The U.S. Geological Survey said the United States imported and used an estimated 1,820 tons of asbestos in 2007.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tried to ban asbestos in 1989, but portions of those regulations were overturned in court in 1991. Today, 40 countries have banned asbestos. The United States has not.

Navy seamen risk mesothelioma

The most serious of asbestos-related diseases is malignant mesothelioma, a cancer of the pleura that lines the chest cavity and the lungs. Most people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma die within one year of the diagnosis.

Among the Senator’s most important findings is that some one-third of all mesothelioma victims in the United States are seamen who were exposed to asbestos during service in the Navy. Mesothelioma can take decades to develop before being diagnosed, so seamen in service as far back as the 1960s are only now being diagnosed with the most fatal of asbestos-related cancers.

To help prevent fires at sea, especially during combat, Navy ships used asbestos abundantly as insulation, especially around boilers, pipes and other heat-sensitive areas. Any time the asbestos is disturbed, it can become airborne and be inhaled by seamen in the vicinity, especially in confined areas below deck.

Seamen can seek compensation for mesothelioma

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and seek a free case review, please notify us through the communication form at left. We will pursue your claim with vigilance to help you pay for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering. Weitz & Luxenberg works on a contingency basis, so there is no cost to you until we win a settlement or a verdict in your favor. Contact us today for a free evaluation.