Law Affecting Veterans
Mesothelioma is a cancer which afflicts our nation's heroes, people who built our country and who embody our ideals of patriotism, hardwork, and family.
They were exposed to asbestos while serving our nation in Navy ships and shipyards, building our homes and cities, working hard in our factories and industries to provide for their families, or washing their loved one's clothes at the end of the long work-day. Some don't even know how they were exposed. Yet, other than those personally affected, our society mostly is unaware of, or ignores, this national tragedy.
For those stricken with Mesothelioma, the harsh reality is that victims and/or their families must sue for compensation – no check is sent “automatically” from the those liable for having caused this catastrophic illness. Starting a lawsuit to help Mesothelioma victims and their families requires the expertise of competent trial attorneys – who can often negotiate a settlement by deftly demonstrating liability of those responsible before trial is commenced.
The asbestos industry does not stay in business by simply giving away money for the asking – especially the large sums necessary to help those stricken with this terrible disease. The makers of asbestos-containing products can afford to hire the best lawyers in attempt to minimize and delay compensation due victims and their families. Therefore, it is crucial to retain an attorney specifically experienced handling Mesothelioma cases – who knows the manufacturers and their well-practiced tactics. Only an expert Mesothelioma attorney has the best chances of getting the fullest compensation available under the law for victims of this miserable illness and their needy families. It is a double tragedy to both contract Mesothelioma – and then robbed of just compensation for the disease – by the industrial greed of asbestos industry.
Mesothelioma literally robs a person of health and life. While money alone can never replace these, it can be a Godsend to those left financially strapped by this dreadful disease. We at the Goldberg Law Offices are have specialized in the pursuing justice for victims of industrial hazards, such as the asbestos which causes Mesothelioma, for over 18 years. We have the knowledge, experience and wherewithal to succeed in recovering money from the asbestos industry – while less experienced firms could easily be discouraged by the asbestos industry’s deplorable tactics of denying liability – and then delaying payment – to Mesothelioma victims and their families. At the Goldberg Law Offices, we don’t put up with these shenanigans. We relentlessly pursue those responsible and hold the asbestos industry accountable for the damages they have caused.
There had been suspicions that asbestos might have dangers for centuries. However, the scientific proof that asbestos could cause cancers Mesothelioma became well established in the 1930's. That such a safe looking substance, mined from earth, was so dangerous was initially doubted by the asbestos manufactures themselves!. In fact, the asbestos industry paid for studies in the 1930's and thereafter – to prove that asbestos was safe. However, their scientists arrived at the exact opposite conclusion. Asbestos was dangerous. It caused cancers in laboratory animals – and was soon shown to do so in humans as well! This was, of course, very worrisome for the burgeoning asbestos industry, which was going gang-busters making pipe-fittings, gaskets, insulation, cements, and brake-linings – among many other products.
Instead of being forthright with its workers and public about the newfound dangers of asbestos in the 1930's, the industry hid evidence, purposely altered the conclusions of scientific studies, and generally did everything it could to keep workers (and the public) “in the dark” as to the mounting scientific evidence showing asbestos as anything but safe. The asbestos manufacturers embarked on a “disinformation campaign” to spread the false notion that asbestos was really safe. Further, the asbestos companies actively bought out makers of truly safer insulation materials – to continue asbestos as the only economical option for builders. A real conspiracy was underway to keep America’s workers and citizens unaware of any danger from asbestos – and force them to continue to use it when safer alternatives were available!
Ultimately, in the 1960's through 1980‘s, scientists from the U.S. Government and University Laboratories published studies proving the dangers of asbestos – risks which had grown over years through widespread use in homes and industry – despite the safer alternatives! Asbestos companies were finally forced, through both lawsuits and increasing Government regulation, to abandon asbestos production and usage almost entirely. However, decades of rampant usage had needlessly endangered several generations of Americans – with diseases like Mesothelioma Lung Cancer taking perhaps 20 to 60 years to manifest from (exposures long ago) to this very patient poison!
Every Mesothelioma case has its own particulars – victims may be of various ages, differing occupations, male or female, and had either long or short term exposure to asbestos in the recent or remote past! That is why it takes a highly experienced attorney to use the specifics of the case toward the victim’s advantage– and not be discouraged by the asbestos industry’s defense that they are not responsible since the case is not “typical” for asbestos-related Mesothelioma. There really is no such thing as a “typical case,” – and an inexperienced law firm may fall for this common defense ploy.
Nonetheless, significant settlements and awards have been wrested out of the asbestos manufacturer’s for their culpability to victims of Mesothelioma. Multi-Million dollar awards are quite common – all depending upon the particular circumstances of the case. A key attribute of a highly competent and experienced Mesothelioma lawyer is knowing how to arrange and present the case to the payers – so that maximal compensation can be recovered for the victim and their family.
Sadly, many Veterans who have nobly served our Country are at particularly susceptible to developing Mesothelioma. This is because large amounts of asbestos-containing products were manufactured by Veterans, and used extensively by our military until through the 1980's. The military’s use of asbestos products decreased as the dangers of asbestos exposure became indisputable – but there still was (and is) the necessity of cleaning out remaining asbestos over time.
This means that Veterans may be exposed to asbestos even today – fortunately more safeguards have been put in place to minimize asbestos exposure to those who currently serve our Country. Yet there is no practical way to prevent exposure altogether– and so it is not surprising that Veterans, in general, do display a higher risk of getting Mesothelioma than those with no military service.
Military personnel particularly at risk for developing Mesothelioma include Navy Veterans who built and maintained Warships. Asbestos containing products were used extensively in these ships, and the pipe-fittings within them. Sailors on these Warships were literally showered with particles from the asbestos-containing composite materials used to construct the Warships’ quarters, boiler-rooms and galleys. The areas, when scratched by cargo movement or simply corroding over time, spewed out easily-inhaled asbestos particles – along with asbestos-laden dust clinging to skin of the Veterans aboard.
Another high risk group of Veterans are those who worked in demolition and renovation, since they were exposed to asbestos the insulation materials removed, and asbestos dust in the air during destruction of facilities constructed when asbestos was a conventional building material. It is especially tragic when a Veteran has survived the dangers of being in the military – only to succumb years later from the consequences of asbestos exposure during their service.
IMPORTANTLY, THE ARMED SERVICES ARE NOT AT FAULT when a legal action is made on behalf of a Veteran afflicted with Mesothelioma. Rather, the manufacturers of the asbestos materials, who were aware of the dangers but hid them so long as they were able, are the targets of lawsuits seeking compensation for Veteran victims of Mesothelioma and their families. These asbestos manufacturers failed to warn the military of dangers they knew about – seeking to maximize their profits at the time. In fact, the asbestos manufacturers directly lied to their customers, including the military – claiming evidence that the material was safe. They formed “scientific committees” to advance the notion that asbestos was harmless – and even went so far as to pressure scientists from outside the asbestos industry to squelch their findings, and try to discredit those researchers who warned of asbestos’ dangers. Now it is time for the asbestos manufacturers to pay for the consequences of their greed and deception – falsity which continues to bring tragedy to those who bravely served our Country along with their families.
We at the Goldberg Law Offices salute those who have bravely served our Country, and are shocked and angered at the network of lies and collusion among the asbestos manufacturers which has wrought preventable misery on Veterans and their families. We are willing to help Veterans secure whatever assistance and compensation is available. This may include governmental disability payments, directions to obtain medical help at VA facilities – and of course well-deserved legal compensation from the asbestos manufacturers who must be called to account for what they’ve done.
