U.S. Coast Guard veterans claims

These products include, but are not limited to:

• insulation
• gaskets
• coating
• floor tiles
• mastics
• electric wires

Because of its insulating and fire-retardant properties, asbestos was initially hailed as a life-saver by the U.S. Armed Forces, and by civilian industries across the country. Its benefits seemed to know no bounds, and for decades all signs to the contrary were ignored. Most at risk among the Coast Guard servicemen and women were those directly exposed to asbestos in shipyard work, whether it was shipbuilding, maintenance, or repairs. Since asbestos is brittle and easily releases fibers into the air if not wet or if its surface tension is broken, exposure was almost impossible to avoid when doing work on older vessels.

Even mere travel on ships rich in asbestos products could expose the crew to toxic fibers since almost all insulating products between the 1930s and the 1970s contained asbestos. Boilers were among the richest in asbestos, followed by electrical insulation and asbestos reinforcement in walls around the ship. Practically anywhere you turned in the confined space of a Coast Guard ship, asbestos was sure to be there. And, on those ships or buildings that are still in use decades later, the danger is still there.

Structural and mechanical components containing asbestos include:

• thermal insulation cement
• cement sheet and siding
• vinyl floor tiles and vinyl sheet flooring
• drywall joint compound
• ceiling tile
• welding blankets
• sprayed structural and reinforcing cement
• joint compound
• valve packing
• brake linings

The use of asbestos in the U.S. Coast Guard

U.S. Coast Guard locations associated with asbestos:

• U.S. Coast Guard Alameda, California
• U.S. Coast Guard Island Alameda, California
• U.S. Coast Guard Long Beach Base, California
• U.S. Coast Guard Yard, Baltimore, Maryland
• U.S. Coast Guard Sebago Lake, Maine
• U.S. Coast Guard Base San Juan Municipio, Store House, Puerto Rico
• U.S. Coast Guard Navigation School, Groton, Connecticut
• U.S. Coast Guard Gulfport, Mississippi
• U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, New York
• U.S. Coast Guard Station, Tybee Island, Georgia
• U.S. Coast Guard Station, Islamorada, Florida
• U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, St. Petersburg, Florida
• U.S. Coast Guard Station, Panama City, Florida
• U.S. Coast Guard Station, Yankeetown, Florida

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

Surviving spouses and dependents of Coast Guard veterans who have died from an asbestos-related illness as a result of their service may be eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation. If their loved one has passed away from lung cancer, bronchial cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos-related pulmonary diseases, family members can also receive compensation from one or more of several trust funds created to provide financial compensation to victims and their families. Because the money comes from the asbestos trust funds which have been established to assist victims of asbestos exposure, the legal process involves no litigation and takes significantly less time to complete.

We handled thousands of asbestos exposure claims throughout the country and we have successfully recovered over $1.4 billion for over 25,000 asbestos-exposed clients and their families. We are highly experienced and skilled in protecting the rights of asbestos exposure victims and their family members.

Because AFFF was the primary firefighting agent used aboard U.S. Coast Guard and Navy vessels for flammable liquid fires between the 1960s to the early 2000s, contamination with PFAS was inevitable.

The U.S. military has been heavily using PFAS-containing foam for fire suppression during non-critical missions and in training exercises in several of its branches, including the Coast Guard, since the latter part of the 60s. With decades of use by Coast Guard services personnel, it is possible that thousands of retired or active military firefighters have or will develop the following types of cancer from exposure to the dangerous compounds:

• Kidney cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Ulcerative colitis
• Thyroid disease
• Bladder cancer
• Leukemia
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Hogkin's lymphoma
• Male breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Liver cancer
• Thyroid cancer

If you were diagnosed with a medical condition you believe is due to the exposure you suffered during service, our team of legal experts can help you with filing a claim on your behalf.

The Department of Veterans Affairs oversees an enormous number of benefits and services for veterans of our nation’s armed forces, including the Coast Guard. Unfortunately, many deserving veterans of the United States Coast Guard face initial denials of benefits and have to go through a confusing and time-consuming appeals process. The claim process is complicated and the paperwork and waiting time involved in filing a veteran’s compensation claim can be confusing, long, and frustrating. Whether you are just starting the application process, or your claim has been denied and are preparing an appeal, we know the law, and the process, and we want to help.

The toxicity of PFAS is dominated by the perfluoroalkyl substances sub-group, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) due to the widespread occurrence of these components in the environment, with the ability for long-range transport far from the emission points.

These chemical compounds are water-soluble and bio-accumulative, which means that they can easily be dispersed through air and water – and accumulate in the human body.

In addition to PFAS, there were other toxic agents found to lurk at hundreds of military sites, including U.S. Coast Guard bases and installations - which greatly endangered the health of military residents and their family members living with them:

• trichloroethylene (TCE) - a man-made degreaser
• perchloroethylene (PCE) - a solvent used for metal degreasing and dry cleaning
• benzene - a widely used industrial chemical
• vinyl chloride - used as a raw material in organic synthesis and in the manufacture of plastics

Possible sources of the contamination include oil spills from leaking underground storage tanks, on-base units using chemicals to clean military equipment, industrial area spills, and leaking from toxic waste dumps.

Our team of experts with vast experience in toxic exposure cases will be of great help to you if you want to file a claim, as they will efficiently take care of the aspects entailed by the legal process, while your involvement will be minimal. You will only have to provide us with your military and medical records, documents that will stand as evidence of your exposure and related diagnosis in your toxic exposure claim.

To receive compensation on these grounds, it is necessary to show that you were stationed on one of the U.S. Coast Guard bases and installations for at least one year and developed one of the following diseases:

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

Our experienced legal practitioners can help you understand the connection between that exposure and your current disabilities and answer questions about how to build your toxic exposure claim for benefits. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss your particular situation.