U.S. Army veterans claims

The U.S. Army began using asbestos-containing products and building materials in the 1930s. The toxic material was used throughout barracks, mess halls, hospitals, and other buildings where soldiers worked, slept, and ate. Asbestos products veterans were exposed to include:

• insulation
• duct insulation
• brakes
• asphalt
• gaskets
• clutches
• roof coating
• floor tiles
• shingles
• electric wires
• wallboard

Due to its confirmed toxicity, the military stopped using asbestos in large part in the 1970s, but this does not change the fact that there are entire generations of Army veterans that have done their service in toxic mediums breathing in asbestos fibers released into the air by the disturbance of asbestos-containing material during maintenance and repairs to various heat-related machinery and heavy-duty equipment on military bases.

Our clients served at various Army bases throughout the country, including:

• Camp Blanding
• Camp Pendleton
• Oakland Army Base
• Fort Huachuca
• Camp Blanding
• Camp Beale
• Fort Eustis
• Fort McClellan
• Camp McCain
• Fort Niagara
• Murphy Army Hospital
• Fort Lewis Army Hospital
• Fort Hunter Liggett
• Fort Devens
• Camp Fannin
• Camp Dodge
• Fort Pickett
• Fort Irwin
• Fort Lawton
• Fort Collins
• Camp Cook
• Fort Mason
• Fort Thomas
• Fort Snelling
• Fort Chaffee
• Fort Mead
• Camp Stoneman
• Camp Howe
• Fort Buchanan
• Camp Atterbury
• Fort Drum

Surviving family members of deceased U.S. Army veterans are entitled to financial compensation

If you or your loved one is a veteran of the United States Army recently diagnosed with lung cancer, bronchial cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, or other asbestos-related pulmonary diseases, contact us today to learn about your legal rights. Even if a loved one has already passed away due to an asbestos-related condition, a spouse, child, or representative may still be entitled to VA benefits in addition to compensation from asbestos trust funds.

The U.S. Military has been using a special type of foam to fight fires for decades. The foam was extremely successful in extinguishing fires, particularly the ones where petrochemical compounds are involved. However, there are major health concerns associated with exposure to this foam. The very military firefighters who were fighting fires were being exposed to a cancer-causing product while working to stop the spread and re-ignition of fires.

While the aqueous film-forming foam itself is not classified as a carcinogen, the firefighting foam does contain several known carcinogenic compounds, meaning that it has been shown to cause certain types of cancer. This is because many AFFF types contain perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which both are possibly carcinogenic to humans. According to several studies, these chemicals in aqueous film-forming foams have been linked to a wide range of cancers, particularly cancer of the kidneys, bladder, and testicles.

The chemical-based firefighting foam was designed, marketed, manufactured, distributed, and sold by large companies, such as:

• 3M Company
• Tyco Fire Products
• Du Pont de Nemours
• The Chemours Company
• Buckeye Fire Equipment
• Chemguard

Their products have been used extensively throughout all military branches, including the U.S. Army, for over 50 years.

If you or someone you love has been affected by AFFF manufacturers’ failure to provide adequate warnings of the risks associated with their product, please feel free to contact our experts at Environmental Litigation Group, P.C., as you may be entitled to compensation.

The highly toxic fluorinated chemicals called PFAS are present in the soil at disused Army installation sites at levels that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s health guidelines.

Feel free to contact our experts at ELG if you or someone you know were exposed to PFAS and other toxic agents such as:

• volatile organic compounds - including chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene and their degradation products

• aromatic solvents such as benzene
• other organic compounds such as vinyl chloride

Our job is to answer your questions, explain your legal options, and help you pursue the best solution if you stationed at U.S. Army bases & installations, and are now diagnosed with one of the following diseases:

• Kidney cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Thyroid disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Bladder cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Liver cancer

Thousands of veterans have been diagnosed with service-connected noise-induced hearing loss from exposure to repetitive exposure to loud noises, especially at the levels of gunfire, explosions, heavy machinery. For example, a single blast or gunfire may trigger a temporary bout of tinnitus.

With extended or repeated exposure to loud noise, tinnitus symptoms can be permanent and so severe that for many, it can interfere with everyday life. Unfortunately, there is no cure for tinnitus, although certain treatments can help diminish ringing sensations.

Veterans who served in the Army may have been exposed to machinery and vehicles that emit sound well over 85 decibels, such as:

• Humvee: 90 dB
• Chinook Helicopter: 100 dB
• Abrams Tank: 115 dB
• M16 Rifle: 160 dB
• M72 LAW: 180 dB

The 3M Combat Arms Earplugs which were supposed to protect service members from loud noises during combat, were eventually found to be ineffective. As a result, a number of service members suffered from deteriorated hearing or hearing loss.

Allegations suggest that despite their awareness of the design defect and its potential to harm users, 3M continued to supply defective earplugs to our service members.

If you served in the U.S. Army between 2003 and 2015 and were issued 3M dual-ended combat earplugs and have been diagnosed with hearing loss or tinnitus, you may be eligible for compensation from two types of claims, a VA claim, and a 3M manufacturer claim.