July Fourth is a time for picnics, fireworks, and celebrating our liberties as Americans.
We enjoy the freedom of religion, assembly, and the press, and cherish our right to express diverse opinions.
However, we cannot forget to honor those who have served our country to defend these rights: the men and women of the Armed Forces.
A Salute to Service on Independence Day
Our brave service members and veterans have dedicated years, if not decades, to protecting and preserving the benefits that define our country.
Just think for a minute about the sacrifices these incredible patriots have made in defense of liberty. Not only have they spent months or years away from their spouses, partners, children, and loved ones, but many have also experienced the horrors of war. Many have lost cherished friends in battle and suffered physical harm that most of us cannot even imagine.
These courageous men and women remain proud of their service to our country, with many saying they would do it again. Their dedication to the freedoms and rights of the United States of America is to be revered.
But as we celebrate our veterans this Independence Day, we must remember the battles they continue to fight.
Continuing Battles on the Home Front
Veterans often return home from serving with both visible and invisible injuries. While physical injuries like scars and the loss of limbs are more obvious, many of the wounds veterans bear are far less evident.
Many veterans suffer a range of health problems, including a weakened immune system, chronic pain, and respiratory issues. Veterans are also at greater risk of mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the general population.
Additionally, those who served in the military are more likely to have heart disease and are more prone to engage in addictive behaviors such as drinking and smoking. Veterans who had tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan also have a higher risk of skin cancer due to long periods of sun exposure.
There are numerous programs that offer health care resources to veterans that are struggling. Still, there are many additional battles that veterans face due to their service to our country. For example, older veterans are at risk of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.
Asbestos Exposure & Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Veterans are at a greater risk of developing mesothelioma due to widespread asbestos use by the military between the 1930s and early 1980s. However, the dangers of asbestos were hidden from military service members for decades.
Asbestos is a cancer-causing material that was used by every branch of the military — but most extensively by the U.S. Navy. Asbestos was used as an insulator in most of the U.S. Navy ships made during multiple military conflicts, including World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
Over 33% of all mesothelioma cases involve U.S. military veterans. Mesothelioma can take 20-50 years to develop and many U.S. veterans are not diagnosed until they’re retirement age — when they should be enjoying their lives with family and friends.
U.S. veterans with mesothelioma deserve high-quality medical care and financial payouts if they’ve been diagnosed. Thankfully, veterans can file for VA benefits to get treated by top mesothelioma doctors and receive monthly compensation.
With the help of experienced mesothelioma lawyers, affected veterans can also file asbestos claims to pursue even more financial aid — without affecting their VA benefits.
Sokolove Law has already helped thousands of veterans nationwide get the benefits and compensation they need. Let us get you the money you deserve.
Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune
Asbestos wasn’t the only dangerous substance that brave U.S. veterans were exposed to.
Nearly 1 million veterans, their families, and workers at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC, may have been exposed to contaminated water between 1953 and 1987.
The water was contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals, most notably TCE (trichloroethylene) and PCE (perchloroethylene).
Contaminated water at Camp Lejeune has been linked to many kinds of health issues, including:
- Aplastic anemia
- Birth defects
- Bladder cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Prostate cancer
- Neurobehavioral effects like anxiety or depression
- Other non-cancerous illnesses like scleroderma
U.S. veterans and their families didn’t deserve to get sick simply from serving at Camp Lejeune. Thankfully, a newly passed law called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 can help those affected secure compensation and justice.
Anyone who lived or worked at the base for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 and suffered injuries may now be eligible for financial compensation from a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.
Camp Lejeune settlements provide compensation that's separate and in addition to health care and disability benefits from the VA.
We may also be able to help veterans and their families with pursuing Camp Lejeune VA benefits for water contamination.
Call (800) 995-1212 or fill out our contact form to get started. It costs nothing to speak with our team.
Firefighting Foam & PFAS Exposure
Civilian and military firefighters routinely used firefighting foam that contained dangerous chemicals known as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances).
In the late 1960s, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) started requiring all branches of the U.S. military to use PFAS-containing firefighting foam because of its efficiency in extinguishing high-intensity fires.
After performing examinations of more than 500 U.S. military installations in 2018, the DOD found that 401 had some sort of PFAS contamination in drinking water. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) performed a separate analysis, focusing on U.S. Army and U.S. Army National Guard installations, and found an additional 90 installations that had PFAS contamination.
Exposure to PFAS can lead to serious health problems like multiple types of cancer, including:
- Breast cancer
- Colon cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Prostate cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Thyroid cancer
Although the DOD has committed to phasing out its use of this firefighting foam, thousands of service members and veterans have already been exposed and made sick as a result.
Sokolove Law is committed to helping firefighters affected by PFAS exposure pursue firefighting foam settlements that can help pay for medical treatment, everyday expenses, and more.
Fighting for the Freedoms We Celebrate
There are many reasons why we can be proud — on the Fourth of July and every other day of the year — to live in a country built on the diversity of its citizens and opinions. This trait has made us strong as a nation, resulting in technological innovations that have led to one of the world's most advanced health care systems.
But this network must be able to treat all Americans, including the veterans who have continued to make our freedoms possible. We must ensure their access to a health care and justice system capable of helping the injuries we can see and those we can’t.
Our veterans must be able to enjoy the full benefits of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness they have protected for all of us.
If you can, thank a veteran for their service and tell them how much you genuinely appreciate the sacrifices they made to help preserve the way of life we love.
