Asbestos News | Toxic Exposure and Veterans Bill
Last month, the topic of toxic exposure intersected with the United States military and President Joe Biden. In the midst of this intersection, it is valuable to revisit how all of this relates to the threat of asbestos exposure and what the Veterans Bill does to protect Veterans from this toxic substance. Here’s what you should know.
Biden Bill Signed to Benefit Veterans
According to the Associated Press, President Joe Biden recently met with various veterans and their families in New Hampshire to highlight one of his accomplishments on their behalf during his term in office- the passing of the PACT Act back in August of 2022. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states that the pact act expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans who are exposed to toxic exposures. These include burn pits, Agent Orange and other related substances. On March 5 of 2024, the expansion of care and access to funds went into effect that will help Veterans of “the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras”. Some of the other changes include:
Over 20 presumptive conditions added to toxic exposure. These are called presumptive conditions because it is presumed that military service caused these associative conditions.
More presumptive exposure locations added
VA will be required to provide a toxic exposure screening for every Veteran enrolled in VA health care.
These are noteworthy provisions, but how are benefits looking from a logistics and reporting standpoint so far? According to the Associated Press, as of last month, over 1 million claims have been granted since the PACT Act went into law in August of 2022. This includes over 5.7 billion dollars in benefits paid to veterans and their survivors. The president claims that burn pits are responsible for the death of his son who served in the military, and it is estimated that 70% of disability claims associated with burn pits were denied before the PACT Act went into law. The assumption for this is because of much higher the threshold for proving a link was for veterans, a point that is undoubtedly addressed in the “presumptive condition” clause of the PACT Act.
The question you may be asking in light of all this is, why would something like the PACT Act be necessary in the first place- and how does it relate specifically to asbestos?
Asbestos Exposure Risks for Veterans
Asbestos use spans thousands of years in the industrial and residential industries. However, it’s important to know that asbestos is not a byproduct or something made in a lab. Instead, asbestos is actually a banner term used to describe naturally occurring minerals in the earth. In fact, asbestos refers to two different groups, each with different colors and fiber characteristics.
In general, the characteristic of asbestos that applies across the board is its durability. This means that asbestos can withstand many of the threats that other materials cannot withstand, such as melting, evaporation, electrical conductivity, corrosion, and decomposition. Any variety of asbestos has been used for these reasons, but the difference in their fibers determines what kind of applications are best fit for each. For example, chrysotile asbestos has curly matted fibers, while crocidolite has straight brittle fibers. These different characteristics determine whether one type of asbestos can be used to strengthen pottery while others are best to use in things like concrete, roofing, or gaskets.
Asbestos in the Military
Unfortunately, it is easy to think about the presence of asbestos specifically in industrial or or residential places. Before the late 20th-century ban on the use of most asbestos-containing materials in the United States, you could expect the presence of asbestos in virtually all types of construction work in some capacity. Veterans should know that the military is no exception. In fact, the only thing exceptional about the military and its history with asbestos is the exceptionally large quantity of asbestos that was utilized throughout every branch.
In terms of the different branches of the military, the United States Navy represented the majority of all asbestos use. This is mainly because of the fireproofing benefit of asbestos, which was heavily used in shipyards, surface ships, and submarines. Vessels built and used by the Coast Guards, Navy, or Merchant Marines between 1930 and 1980 contained asbestos throughout, including engine rooms, boiler rooms, and cabins.
While the Army and Marines spend more time out in the open air of combat compared to the Navy, many of the military bases, barracks, vehicles, and aircraft carriers used for transport were heavily contaminated with asbestos. Burn pits used by the military have historically be significant areas of asbestos exposure, so much so that it has led to official legislation in order to regulate burn pit safety measures.
Asbestos Illness and Veterans
Mesothelioma, a virtually unknown term in the past, has made its way into the minds of most Americans in recent decades. In fact, asbestos and mesothelioma have virtually become synonymous terms these days. The reason for this is that asbestos accounts for nearly all cases of mesothelioma in the world. The more we learn about asbestos, the more we necessarily learn about mesothelioma, as it is the most common and most deadly disease related to asbestos exposure.
Getting Help and Compensation
It is a sad thing that the asbestos industry has been aware of the dangers of this mineral for so many decades. Despite the impressive qualities of asbestos, the willingness to suppress and ignore its health risks has caused pain, grief, and loss for thousands of people, especially veterans. Veterans knowingly risk their lives for their country, but most of them have unknowingly risked their lives by being exposed to asbestos throughout their military career.
Take Action Now
If you are a veteran or a family member of a veteran suffering from an asbestos-related disease, you need to know that you have options available. Reach out to the team of professionals at AsbestosClaims.law to find out what steps you should take. Reaching out to an asbestos attorney will not cost you anything, but failing to take action can cost you both peace of mind and a pathway to getting the compensation you deserve.