Navy Veterans and Mesothelioma

Asbestos was widely used on Navy ships for insulation and fire protection, putting many sailors at risk. This exposure is the leading cause of mesothelioma, and veterans diagnosed with the disease may qualify for VA benefits and financial compensation.

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How U.S. Navy Veterans Were Exposed to Asbestos

The U.S. Navy used asbestos heat and fire resistance in ship construction for much of the 20th century. Asbestos was commonly used in insulation, pipe coverings, boilers, machinery parts and bulkhead panels throughout naval vessels. Sailors often lived and worked around asbestos. Maintaining equipment, performing repairs or working in mechanical spaces such as engine rooms and boiler rooms particularly put sailors at risk.

Common Sources of Asbestos Exposure for Navy Veterans

• Barracks and on-base housing: Navy barracks and housing built before the 1980s often contained asbestos in their infrastructure. Exposure occurred when these materials, found in everything from pipes to roofing, were damaged or disturbed.
• Secondary exposure: Asbestos fibers can cling to uniforms, skin, hair or equipment after work around contaminated materials. These fibers could be carried into living spaces or homes, where they could become airborne again.
• Ships and submarines: Naval ships and submarines built before the mid-1970s commonly contained asbestos materials, especially in engine rooms, boiler rooms and other below-deck spaces. Maintenance, repairs or routine ship operations could release fibers.
• Shipyards: Ship construction, repair and maintenance often involved disturbing asbestos insulation and mechanical components. Navy personnel and civilian workers in shipyards could be exposed while installing, removing or repairing asbestos-containing materials.

Asbestos exposure happens when microscopic fibers become airborne and are inhaled. Once inside the body, these fibers can remain in tissue for decades. Over time, these asbestos fibers can lead to serious diseases, including mesothelioma. Asbestos use is restricted in the U.S., but isn’t fully banned. Legacy asbestos on older naval ships, equipment and buildings also continue to pose a risk of asbestos exposure. 

High-Risk Occupations for Navy Veterans

Health agencies report that no level of asbestos exposure is completely safe, but risk generally increases with the amount and duration of exposure. Navy veterans whose roles involved regular, heavy contact with asbestos-containing materials, such as those working in mechanical spaces, shipyards or construction environments, faced some of the highest levels of risk.

Naval Jobs With Higher Asbestos Risk

• Below-deck mechanical crew: Sailors who worked below deck, particularly in engine and boiler spaces, often operated in areas where asbestos insulation was common and ventilation was limited.
• Boiler operators: Boiler rooms on Navy ships contained large amounts of asbestos insulation used to control heat. Sailors responsible for operating or repairing boilers often worked directly around these materials.
• Pipefitters: Navy pipefitters installed and repaired piping systems that carried steam and water throughout ships. Many of these pipes were covered with asbestos insulation known as lagging.
• Shipyard workers: Navy personnel working in shipyards between the 1930s and 1990s could encounter asbestos during ship construction, repair and maintenance.
• Welders: These sailors often worked around insulated pipes, engines and structural components that contained asbestos materials.

Veterans who worked in higher-risk roles should discuss their service history with their doctor, even if they don’t currently have symptoms. Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases can take 20 to 60 years to develop after exposure.

Diseases Linked to Asbestos Exposure in Navy Veterans

Mesothelioma is the disease most strongly linked to asbestos exposure. Navy veterans with known exposure should ask their doctor about screenings and monitoring for asbestos-related diseases. Veterans who develop symptoms such as persistent coughing, chest pain or shortness of breath should speak with their doctor as soon as possible. 

Asbestos-Related Diseases

• Asbestosis: Inhaling asbestos fibers leads to permanent scarring in the lungs and difficulty breathing, which can cause this chronic lung disease.
• Laryngeal cancer: This cancer forms in the voice box (larynx).
• Lung cancer: Developing in the airways or air sacs of the lungs, this cancer is most often in the upper lobes where inhaled fibers tend to accumulate.
• Mesothelioma: A rare and aggressive cancer, it forms in the lining around the lungs, abdomen or heart and is most closely associated with asbestos exposure.
• Ovarian cancer: This cancer involves abnormal cell growth in one or both ovaries or the fallopian tubes.
• Pleural disease: These conditions affecting the lining around the lungs, including pleural plaques (thickened tissue) and pleural effusion (fluid buildup around the lungs).

Research into asbestos-related diseases is ongoing, and scientists continue to study possible links between asbestos exposure and other cancers. Studies on associations between asbestos and cancers such as esophageal, colon and kidney have been inconsistent. None have been confirmed to the degree of established diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer.

VA Benefits for Navy Veterans With Mesothelioma

Navy Veterans with mesothelioma from their military service may be able to collect a number of different VA benefits, including VA disability compensation and VA health care. The PACT Act of 2022 has expanded eligibility for veterans who were exposed to hazardous substances while in the service. In general, veterans will need an honorable or general discharge, a diagnosis of the disease and evidence of a service connection.

Available VA Benefits

• Aid and attendance: An additional VA benefit available to veterans who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing or eating because of their medical condition.
• Caregiver benefits: The VA offers programs that provide financial support, training and resources to family members or caregivers assisting veterans with serious health conditions.
• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): A tax-free monthly payment available to surviving spouses, children or dependents of veterans who died from a service-connected condition such as mesothelioma.
• Funeral and burial reimbursement: The VA may reimburse certain funeral and burial expenses for eligible veterans whose death is connected to their military service.
• Housebound Benefits: Additional monthly payments for veterans who are largely confined to their homes because of a disability.
• Special Monthly Compensation (SMC): Extra compensation available to veterans with severe disabilities or special medical needs beyond the standard disability rating.
• VA disability compensation: Veterans with mesothelioma typically receive a 100% disability rating, which currently provides $3,938 per month for a single veteran, $4,158.17 for a married veteran and higher payments for veterans with dependents in 2026.
• VA Health Care: Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma may qualify for treatment through the VA health care system, including specialized cancer care and related services.
• VA Pension: A needs-based monthly benefit available to wartime veterans with limited income who meet certain service and medical criteria.

Veterans can file a claim for VA benefits and pursue legal compensation at the same time. These two processes are different from each other, and seeking benefits from the VA doesn’t restrict a veteran from seeking legal compensation. An experienced mesothelioma attorney at the Nemeroff Law Firm can help veterans understand their legal rights and navigate the financial assistance options available to them.

Legal Options for Navy Veterans With Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma lawsuits and asbestos trust fund claims are financial compensation options for Navy veterans who receive a mesothelioma diagnosis. Lawsuits aren’t filed against the U.S. military or the federal government. Private manufacturers that supplied asbestos-containing products to the military are typically the defendants in these cases. And asbestos bankruptcy trust funds currently contain an estimated $30 billion to cover future claims against asbestos companies that filed for bankruptcy protection.

Compensation Options for Veterans

• Asbestos trust fund claims: Many asbestos manufacturers filed bankruptcy protection and created trust funds to compensate people for future claims. Navy veterans may file claims with these trusts without going to court. Payments vary depending on the trust and the evidence of exposure, and claims may be resolved in a few months to a year. The average payout is estimated between $300,000 to $400,000.
• Mesothelioma lawsuits: Veterans may file lawsuits against the companies that made or supplied asbestos products the military used. Most cases are resolved through settlements. Mesothelioma compensation amounts vary depending on the facts of each case, and cases may take months to several years, depending on the court process. The average payouts range from $1 million to $2 million.
• VA disability compensation: Navy veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma linked to military asbestos exposure may qualify for VA disability compensation and related benefits. The VA typically assigns mesothelioma a 100% disability rating, which provides monthly payments and access to additional assistance programs. Filing for VA benefits does not require going to court.

Navy veterans don’t have to choose between pursuing VA benefits or legal compensation. The two processes are separate and don’t impact the other. Veterans can file for VA benefits, asbestos trust fund claims and a lawsuit depending on the companies responsible for their exposure during their service. Working with an experienced mesothelioma attorney at Nemeroff Law Firm can help veterans identify the companies responsible for asbestos exposure, determine which trust funds may apply and explore all legal options.

Notable Verdicts and Settlements for Navy Veterans

Navy veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma have received significant trial verdicts and compensation settlements with asbestos manufacturers. While verdicts tend to be higher than settlement amounts, most cases end in a negotiated settlement because they provide guaranteed compensation without the uncertainty of a judge or jury’s decision.

Noteworthy Compensation From Lawsuits

• $70.8 Million: This verdict was awarded to Navy machinist Robert Whalen in 2014 following his mesothelioma diagnosis after decades of working with John Crane’s asbestos-containing gaskets while serving in the Navy.
• $40 Million: A jury awarded this compensation to U.S. Navy veteran Walter Twidwell in 2018 after he developed mesothelioma linked to asbestos exposure during his service as a boiler tender. The verdict was entered against Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
• $6.5 Million: Navy shipyard worker George Parker received this jury award in 2016 after developing mesothelioma associated with asbestos gasket exposure during his work at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Navy veterans with mesothelioma have pursued lawsuits targeting the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products used on their vessels, often resulting in substantial compensation. Because every service history is different, an experienced attorney can help clarify which companies might be responsible and explain the options available to you.

Treatment for Navy Veterans With Mesothelioma

Navy veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma may receive treatment through the VA health care system, often at little to no cost for eligible veterans. Common mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy. Doctors sometimes use more than one treatment together, an approach called multimodal care.

Mesothelioma Treatment Options

• Chemotherapy: Powerful drugs are used to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. Chemo is one of the most common treatments for mesothelioma and is often used first.
• Emerging treatments and clinical trials: Researchers are studying new ways to treat mesothelioma. Some veterans may qualify to take part in clinical trials that test new treatments.
• Immunotherapy: FDA-approval has made Immunotherapy a first line treatment for pleural mesothelioma. It helps the body’s immune system find and attack cancer cells. Immunotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma is still being studied.
• Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high doses of targeted energy to shrink tumors or relieve symptoms.
• Surgery: Tumors or affected tissue are surgically removed.Patients are usually eligible when they’re in early stages and good overall health. Surgery is typically combined with other treatments.

For veterans living far from a mesothelioma specialist, there are still ways to receive treatment through the VA. The VA can arrange virtual visits, assist with remote care or assist with travel reimbursement for the veteran’s care. The VA MISSION Act allows veterans to seek care from civilian doctors if the services they need are unavailable in the area where they live.

Navy Veterans and Mesothelioma FAQs