Mesothelioma and U.S. Navy Veterans

The Risk of Mesothelioma in U.S. Navy Veterans

Although every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces used asbestos, the U.S. Navy is believed to have had the highest rate of asbestos use. As a result, U.S. Navy veterans may have the greatest risk of developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma.

A large number of U.S. Navy service members worked with and around asbestos without even knowing it. Many companies used asbestos in construction materials and products on naval vessels and military bases — despite knowing the risks.

At Sokolove Law, we can help U.S. Navy veterans in all 50 states hold the makers of these deadly products accountable, file for VA benefits, and secure financial compensation.

We’ve secured over $5.2 Billion for mesothelioma patients and their families nationwide from the companies that made asbestos-containing products — not the U.S. Navy or the government.

Get free help determining if you or a loved one qualifies for compensation. Billions of dollars may be available for U.S. Navy veterans with mesothelioma and their families.

“What convinced me to carry on with a lawsuit was when I was informed I wasn’t suing the government, I wasn’t suing the U.S. Navy. I was suing the manufacturer. I got mad then. Because they knew, many years prior, what asbestos would do to a human.”
– Walter, U.S. Navy Veteran & Sokolove Law Client

Our Past U.S. Navy Asbestos Settlement Amounts

Over the last 45+ years, Sokolove Law has secured over $5.2 Billion total on behalf of mesothelioma patients and their families nationwide.

Our past U.S. Navy asbestos settlement amounts and verdicts include:

• $40 Million for a U.S. Navy veteran who developed pleural mesothelioma
• $10.2 Million to a U.S. Navy veteran who was exposed to asbestos
• $9.9 Million for a boiler tender who served in the U.S. Navy
• $9.3 Million for the family of a veteran who passed away from mesothelioma
• $5.5 Million to a U.S. Navy veteran and mechanic
• $5.33 Million for a postal carrier and boiler tender in the U.S. Navy
• $4.42 Million to an Indiana boiler room repairman in the U.S. Navy
• $4 Million for a veteran who worked at a shipyard in Massachusetts
• $3.87 Million to a Connecticut auto mechanic who served in the U.S. Navy
• $3.84 Million for a U.S. Navy veteran and sheet metal machinist
• $3.5 Million for a pipefitter and union insulator
• $3.1 Million to a U.S. Navy veteran and union sheet metal worker
• $3 Million for an auto mechanic in Tennessee
• $2.84 Million for a Pennsylvania U.S. Navy veteran and elevator mechanic

While there’s never a guarantee of compensation in any case, we’ll fight hard to get you everything you’re entitled to.

Mesothelioma compensation for U.S. Navy veterans averages between $1 Million and $11.4 Million, depending on if your case results in a settlement or trial verdict.

Call (800) 647-3434 now to see if your family qualifies for U.S. Navy asbestos settlements. It costs nothing to speak with us.

Mesothelioma Compensation for U.S. Navy Veterans & Families

Filing a U.S. Navy asbestos claim can hold the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products accountable for their negligence while providing victims with much-needed compensation.

Mesothelioma compensation for U.S. Navy veterans can help:

• Pay for medical bills
• Cover lost wages
• Hold the companies that made these dangerous products accountable
• Secure their family’s financial future

By working with one of our VA-accredited attorneys, you can get experienced help pursuing all of the compensation options available to your family.

Mesothelioma Legal Claims

By filing a legal claim, U.S. Navy veterans with mesothelioma can seek financial compensation from the companies that are responsible for their exposure to asbestos and the disease it caused.

Mesothelioma lawsuits for U.S. Navy veterans can result in compensation in two ways:

• Mesothelioma U.S. Navy Settlements: Rather than going to trial, most companies will work with your attorney to come up with a fair asbestos settlement offer. Over 99% of our cases result in a settlement.
• Asbestos Verdicts: Some cases do go to trial — usually because the company refuses to pay for your illness or their settlement offer is too low. Though trials don’t guarantee compensation, we’re prepared to fight on your behalf in court if needed.

"Veterans have a right to hold responsible the companies that produced and sold asbestos-containing materials to the military. Filing an asbestos legal claim does not impact VA benefits."
– Ricky LeBlanc, Managing Attorney at Sokolove Law

For mesothelioma legal claims, the average settlement is over $1 Million, while verdicts average between $5 Million and $11.4 Million.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Many companies that made asbestos-containing products attempted to avoid paying those who became ill after exposure to their products by declaring bankruptcy instead.

As a result, the courts ordered these companies to set money aside in asbestos trust funds for current and future mesothelioma victims. To this day, over $30 Billion is still available, according to recent estimations.

Our asbestos lawyers can help U.S. Navy veterans with mesothelioma pursue asbestos trust compensation — from the comfort of their own home.

How to Pursue Mesothelioma U.S. Navy Compensation

The easiest way to file an asbestos claim is to work with an established mesothelioma law firm like Sokolove Law.

We’ll handle every step of the claims process on your behalf, so you can focus on your health and your loved ones.

Though every case can be different, the legal process for filing an asbestos exposure claim generally involves the following steps.

During a free case review, our team can help determine if you may be eligible for compensation.

Our asbestos attorneys can travel to meet you at a time and location of your choosing — at no cost to you. Call (800) 647-3434 now to get started.

At Sokolove Law, we have an extensive warehouse of evidence and database of asbestos exposure information which includes lists of known exposure job sites and asbestos-containing products.

In fact, we may have already represented veterans who were exposed to asbestos on the same ship or in the same products as you.

“I was surprised at the stuff my mesothelioma lawyer knew. He just knew the names of all the pumps and the valves going far back for a way...They were prepared. They could go back to Day 1.”
– Walter, U.S. Navy Veteran & Sokolove Law Client

Once we’ve gathered the evidence necessary to prove your exposure, we’ll get to work filing your claim against the companies responsible for your asbestos exposure before any deadlines.

Remember, we won’t sue the U.S. Navy or the government for mesothelioma. Asbestos U.S. Navy claims are filed against the companies that made the asbestos-based products you were exposed to.

Reaching an asbestos settlement occurs when the defendant and your legal team agree on a fair amount of compensation for the extent of injuries in your case.

Over 99% of our mesothelioma claims result in settlements, which allows our clients to avoid the trial process and start receiving compensation faster.

Many of our U.S. Navy veteran clients begin receiving mesothelioma compensation within 90 days of contacting us for help with their claim.

In the rare event that we’re unable to reach an asbestos settlement in your case, your mesothelioma attorneys are prepared to fight for a verdict on your behalf in court.

The average mesothelioma verdict is between $5 Million and $11.4 Million. Our team will work to get you the maximum amount of compensation possible in your case.

Our VA-accredited mesothelioma lawyers can help you pursue compensation from both U.S. Navy asbestos settlements and VA benefits.

Let Sokolove Law Fight for You

Since 1979, Sokolove Law has secured more than $5.2 Billion for thousands of mesothelioma victims and their families.

Get a Free Case Review

VA Benefits for U.S. Navy Veterans with Mesothelioma

U.S. Navy veterans with mesothelioma usually qualify for a 100% disability rating, allowing them to receive over $3,800 a month in VA benefits in addition to health care.

VA benefits available to U.S. Navy veterans and their families include:

• Aid & Attendance
• Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
• Funeral and Burial Reimbursement
• Housebound Benefits
• Military Headstone
• Spouse and Dependent Children Benefits
• Survivor Pension
• VA Burial
• VA Disability
• VA Funeral Honors
• VA Health Care
• VA Pension

At Sokolove Law, our VA-accredited mesothelioma attorneys can help you file VA claims for benefits, increase your disability rating to 100%, or file an appeal if you were denied benefits.

Asbestos Exposure in the U.S. Navy

Asbestos is durable, inexpensive, and heat-resistant, which made it ideal for shipbuilding during the 20th century. However, this material is extremely dangerous to humans.

When damaged or disturbed, asbestos breaks into tiny fibers that can be inhaled or ingested. These fibers can get trapped in the body and irritate your internal tissues for decades, eventually causing cancer to develop.

Before the dangers were known, asbestos was used in hundreds of different products on U.S. Navy ships, including in:

• Adhesives
• Bedding compounds
• Boilers
• Cables
• Caulk
• Floor tiles
• Deck coverings
• Electrical coating
• Engines
• Gaskets
• Grinders
• Insulation
• Lagging and rope
• Meters
• Packing
• Paint
• Paneling
• Piping
• Pumps
• Thermal materials
• Tubing
• Turbines
• Valves

Whenever these ship parts were installed, repaired, or removed, asbestos dust was released into the air of tightly enclosed ship areas.

As these components aged, their exteriors also wore down, making it harder to avoid disturbing the asbestos and easier to release the dangerous fibers into the air.

Types of U.S. Navy Ships with Asbestos

Asbestos covered the interiors of most U.S. Navy ships, including:

• Aircraft carriers
• Amphibious warships
• Auxiliary vehicles
• Battleships
• Cargo ships
• Cruisers
• Cutters
• Destroyers
• Escorts
• Frigates
• Merchant marine ships
• Minesweepers
• Patrol boats
• Submarines
• Tankers and oilers
• Tenders and tugs

Find out if the specific ship you served on had asbestos onboard — explore our U.S. Navy ships list now.

Play Video

Video Summary: Sokolove Law Managing Attorney Ricky LeBlanc explains why veterans are at a higher risk of mesothelioma and how filing a lawsuit and VA claims can help victims get justice and compensation. View Transcript.

For our veterans, there is a strong likelihood that you had exposure to asbestos products while serving our country. That's certainly true of the majority of our Naval veterans. But if you're in the Air Force, or Navy, or Marines, or Army, Coast Guard, and you were around aircrafts, they also contained asbestos. We tell our veterans that you should always file the mesothelioma lawsuit because it is a place where you're going to get full compensation, or at least the closest compensation and justice we can get you. But if you have the option of filing a VA claim, you certainly should look into that as well. Don't fall into the trap that the VA claim is your best and only solution. The Veterans Administration, while it provides benefits, those benefits at least in their full form, are only paid out to the veteran. Once the veteran is deceased, the family doesn't receive the same monthly benefit as they once did. The Veterans Administration does not pay you for any of your pain, any of the suffering you have, any the loss of enjoyment of your grandchildren or your wife, that doesn't happen. If you go in the civil court system, we can make claims for all of those things and get you more fully compensated. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, Sokolove Law is here to help call us today at 800-647-3434.

U.S. Navy Jobs at Risk of Asbestos Exposure

Sadly, asbestos exposure in the U.S. Navy was not limited to just one job, location, or type of vessel. Given the poor ventilation on U.S. Navy ships, the majority of those on board were likely exposed to asbestos.

Service members who worked onboard ships or in shipyards were at the greatest risk of asbestos exposure. Some jobs aboard these naval vessels put sailors at an even higher risk.

U.S. Navy ratings with a high risk of asbestos exposure include:

• Boilermakers, boiler operators, boiler tenders, and boiler technicians
• Deckhands and sailors
• Electricians
• Enginemen and engine room mechanics
• Gas turbine system technicians
• Hull technicians
• Laggers
• Machinist’s mates
• Pipefitters
• Shipfitters and steamfitters
• Shipbuilders and shipyard workers
• Submarine engineers
• Water tenders
• Welders

Many other jobs in the U.S. Navy may have also been at risk of asbestos exposure, and unfortunately, their loved ones could be at risk too.

U.S. Navy service members who worked with or around asbestos may have carried asbestos dust home with them on their clothing or hair, potentially exposing loved ones as well. This is secondhand asbestos exposure.

If you served in the U.S. Navy and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be eligible for compensation that can help cover the costs of medical care and more. See if you qualify now for free.

Sokolove Law: Mesothelioma Lawyers for U.S. Navy Veterans Nationwide

Over the last 45+ years, Sokolove Law has recovered more than $5.2 Billion on behalf of mesothelioma patients and their families nationwide, including many notable results for U.S. Navy veterans.

Our mesothelioma lawyers for U.S. Navy veterans may be able to: 

• Determine how and when your asbestos exposure occurred
• Identify the companies responsible for your illness
• Pursue mesothelioma compensation on your behalf
• File VA benefit claims or increase your disability rating to 100%

Let us fight for the justice you deserve. Call (800) 647-3434 now or fill out our contact form for a free, no-obligation case review.

Mesothelioma U.S. Navy Settlements FAQs