Veterans who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from the 1930s to the early 1980s are at risk of developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. Due to the heavy use of asbestos on military ships, many service members were routinely exposed to the deadly material. Financial and health care benefits are available to eligible Coast Guard veterans with mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma and U.S. Coast Guard Veterans
Men and women who served in the U.S. Coast Guard at any time between World War II and the early 1980s may be at risk of developing mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related disease.
It takes 10-50 years for mesothelioma to develop after initial asbestos exposure, meaning its first symptoms usually appear well after the veteran served in the military.
If you served in the Coast Guard and were diagnosed with mesothelioma, you can pursue financial and medical benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). You may also qualify for legal compensation to help pay for treatment and provide support for your family.
Get a Free Veterans Packet to learn more about accessing mesothelioma VA benefits.
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Resources for Coast Guard Veterans With Mesothelioma
VA Financial Benefits
The VA offers benefits designed to relieve the financial burden of living with mesothelioma for victims and their loved ones. VA officers and accredited lawyers can help you file your VA claim.
Some eligibility requirements for VA benefits include:
- Being an honorably discharged veteran
- Providing a detailed report of your asbestos exposure
- Showing that over 50% of the exposure occurred during military service
Mesothelioma has a 100% disability rating according to the VA. This means that former Coast Guard service members with mesothelioma are usually eligible for the maximum payout for disability compensation.
Other VA benefits for mesothelioma may be available based on income, number of dependents, or caregiver needs.
VA Health Care Benefits
The VA health care system has some of the best mesothelioma surgeons in the world. Many Coast Guard veterans with mesothelioma can get free treatment from these specialists.
Private Compensation
Manufacturers made and sold asbestos-containing products to the U.S. Coast Guard, even though they knew of the deadly risks. These companies could be held financially responsible if you developed an asbestos-related disease after being exposed to their products.
You may be eligible to receive compensation from an asbestos trust fund or a mesothelioma lawsuit. Both legal options may allow you and your family to access the financial help and justice you deserve.
Asbestos lawsuits are not filed against the U.S. Coast Guard. Instead, they are filed against the manufacturers responsible for your cancer.
Many manufacturers of asbestos-based products filed for bankruptcy to avoid being sued. However, they were forced to set up asbestos trust funds to help pay victims for the harm they caused. These funds have over $30 billion, and you may qualify to receive a portion of this money.
Learn more about accessing legal compensation now by speaking with a mesothelioma attorney.
U.S. Coast Guard Ships and Asbestos
Because asbestos is so effective at fireproofing, it was widely used to protect U.S. Coast Guard ships from fires while at sea. However, any time Coast Guardsmen installed, repaired, or removed ship components, they faced potential asbestos exposure.
Asbestos was used to line and insulate nearly all Coast Guard vessels produced until after the Vietnam War.
Because military ships typically had poor ventilation, asbestos fibers that were disturbed and became airborne could circulate for hours in small, enclosed areas, such as boiler rooms and engine rooms. Anyone who entered these spaces may have come into contact with asbestos.
As time went on, the asbestos-containing products in Coast Guard ships deteriorated, releasing asbestos fibers into the air. This was common when ships from World War II were reused in later missions.
List of Coast Guard Cutters With Asbestos
U.S. Coast Guard cutters (ships) constructed before 1991 are known to have had asbestos materials aboard. In turn, service members assigned to Coast Guard cutters made before this time may be at risk of developing mesothelioma.
Coast Guard cutters that used asbestos included:
- USCGC Absecon (WHEC-374)
- USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719)
- USCGC Campbell (WMEC-909)
- USCGC Dallas (WHEC-716)
- USCGC Escape (WMEC-6)
- USCGC Gallatin (WHEC-721)
Coast guard cutters weren't the only military vessels to use asbestos. Many other Navy ships used asbestos as an insulator and fireproofing agent.
History of Asbestos Use in the Coast Guard
Because asbestos is so versatile, it was used in almost all Coast Guard ships, weapons systems, and infrastructure. In fact, each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces used asbestos extensively.
On Coast Guard bases and ships, asbestos was commonly found in:
- Boiler rooms
- Cables
- Ceiling and floor tiles
- Electrical wiring
- Engine rooms
- Gaskets
- Insulation
- Mess halls
- Piping
- Valves
For much of the 20th century, the military had no reason to suspect that asbestos was dangerous. Only the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products knew of these dangers, but they hid the truth until the late 1970s.
The Coast Guard has since removed almost all of the asbestos from its ships and other assets — but not before thousands of service members were already exposed.
Get a Free Veterans Packet if you served in the U.S. Coast Guard and later developed an asbestos-related disease. Benefits and compensation may be available.
Coast Guard Jobs With High Asbestos Exposure Risk
Coast Guardsmen who worked directly with asbestos on a consistent basis have the highest rates of asbestos exposure and, in turn, mesothelioma.
Below, learn more about dangerous jobs in the Coast Guard.
Shipyard Workers
Coast Guard veterans with the highest risk of asbestos exposure typically worked in shipyards. These workers were constantly exposed to asbestos as they built, overhauled, and tore down ships.
Because asbestos was used in so many different areas of the ships, it was nearly impossible for any shipyard worker to avoid exposure. Mechanics who installed and repaired ship components were also at risk.
Construction and Demolition Workers
Coast Guardsmen used dozens of asbestos-containing products during the construction, renovation, or demolition of buildings. Common asbestos products found in Coast Guard buildings were piping, floor or ceiling tiles, and insulation.
“Exceptional exposures [to asbestos] may have occurred during certain maintenance procedures (e.g. tearing up entire floor surfaces of asbestos-containing floor tiles and torching or sanding surfaces painted with lead-containing paint) without the use of personal protective equipment.”
– United States Coast Guard official website
When asbestos-containing products are disturbed, toxic particles are released into the air and can cling to hair and clothing. Workers and those nearby can inhale or ingest the asbestos fibers unknowingly, putting them at risk of deadly illnesses down the road.
Secondhand Asbestos Exposure Risks in the Coast Guard
Because U.S. Coast Guard bases and ships relied heavily on asbestos-containing materials, families who lived with service members may have been put at risk through secondhand exposure.
For example, when asbestos fibers clung to service members’ uniforms or hair, they could be inhaled by family members through physical contact or as the uniforms were washed.
Get a Free Veterans Packet to learn more about secondhand exposure.
- Treatment Options
- Financial Assistance
- VA Benefits
Get a FREE Veterans PacketGet information on:
- Treatment Options
- Mesothelioma Specialists
- Veterans Benefits
Get Help Filing Your Mesothelioma VA Claim
Filing for Coast Guard mesothelioma VA benefits or legal compensation without help can be difficult because you may not remember how, when, or where you were exposed to asbestos.
Thankfully, our VA-accredited claims agents are available to help make the process easier. We have decades of experience in helping veterans get their VA benefits as quickly as possible. Our team can also help you and your family get private benefits too.
File a Coast Guard VA mesothelioma benefits claim now.
FAQs About Mesothelioma & Coast Guard Veterans
Were Coast Guardsmen exposed to asbestos?
Possibly, yes. Asbestos was widely used by the U.S. Coast Guard up through 1991. Asbestos-containing products were found throughout ships, shipyards, and bases. Thus, Coast Guard personnel could have been exposed to asbestos.
Among those at a very high risk of exposure were shipyard workers and anyone else who worked with or around asbestos on a daily basis. Asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma later in life.
Are Coast Guard veterans with mesothelioma eligible for VA benefits?
Yes. Coast Guard veterans with mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases may qualify for financial and medical VA benefits. These benefits can make life much easier for veterans fighting cancer.
Coast Guard veterans might also qualify for private benefits by filing claims against manufacturers of asbestos-containing products.
For help applying for mesothelioma VA benefits, call (877) 450-8973 now.
How often will Coast Guard veterans get mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma affects roughly 1,000 military veterans per year, and not everyone exposed to asbestos will develop mesothelioma.
That said, Coast Guard veterans are at a high risk of developing mesothelioma if they worked with or around asbestos frequently during their service. They could also go on to develop other asbestos-related diseases, like asbestosis and lung cancer.
