Each November, two observances take center stage in the United States: Lung Cancer Awareness Month and Military Family Month. While these initiatives focus on education, prevention, and support, they also bring attention to a long-standing but often overlooked reality—the high risk of asbestos exposure among U.S. service members and veterans.
For decades, asbestos was used extensively across military bases, ships, vehicles, and housing. Today, many veterans and their families continue to face devastating diagnoses such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis—diseases that often develop 20–50 years after exposure.
At Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro (SSKB), our attorneys have decades of experience representing asbestos and mesothelioma victims nationwide. This month provides an important opportunity to raise awareness, share resources, and help military families understand their legal options.
Asbestos is a recognized carcinogen, and both the CDC and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) confirm that even low levels of exposure can cause:
According to the American Cancer Society, asbestos-related lung cancers claim thousands of lives annually. For many veterans, these risks remain undiagnosed until symptoms become severe.
Why November matters:
Lung Cancer Awareness Month encourages earlier detection, screening, and advocacy—critical steps for veterans who may not connect current symptoms to exposure decades ago.
From the 1930s through the early 2000s, asbestos was used in nearly every branch of the U.S. military. Veterans who served in the following areas have some of the highest documented exposure rates:
Military families often lived in base housing built with asbestos, exposing spouses and children through:
This makes Military Family Month a critical time to acknowledge the unique risk military households carried—without ever being warned.
Even though asbestos use in the military peaked decades ago, its health consequences continue to surface among today’s veteran population. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer almost exclusively linked to asbestos exposure, and it has one of the longest latency periods of any occupational disease—often taking 20 to 50 years before symptoms appear. Because of this, many veterans are only now being diagnosed with asbestos-related illnesses stemming from service in the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, and even the early 2000s.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges that veterans account for nearly one-third of all mesothelioma cases nationwide. Navy veterans face the highest risk due to the overwhelming presence of asbestos in ships, boiler rooms, sleeping quarters, and engine spaces. However, every branch of the military used asbestos in some form—ranging from aircraft and vehicles to base housing, insulation, and fireproofing materials. Military mechanics, shipyard workers, aircraft technicians, pipefitters, construction crews, and firefighters often handled asbestos directly, sometimes without any protective equipment.
What makes the situation even more devastating is the difficulty in diagnosing mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer. Many veterans initially receive incorrect or delayed diagnoses because the symptoms—such as shortness of breath, persistent cough, chest pain, and fatigue—closely resemble common respiratory conditions. By the time the correct diagnosis is made, the disease is often in an advanced stage.
For veterans and military families, this month is an important reminder that feeling symptoms decades after service is not unusual and that exposure on military bases, ships, or barracks—even briefly—can lead to life-altering illnesses much later in life. Early evaluation by a mesothelioma specialist can improve treatment options, extend life expectancy, and provide clarity for families searching for answers.
Many veterans assume that their only recourse is to file a disability claim with the VA, or worse, that they have no legal options at all. In reality, veterans and their families have several pathways to compensation, and none of them require suing the military or the federal government. Instead, the law allows victims to hold private manufacturers accountable for producing asbestos-containing products that were supplied to the military without proper warnings—even though these companies knew the dangers.
Veterans and family members may be eligible to pursue compensation through asbestos trust funds, which were created when major manufacturers filed for bankruptcy but were still legally required to pay victims. These trusts currently contain billions of dollars set aside specifically for people diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis. Many veterans can file multiple trust claims based on the types of products they worked with or were exposed to.
In addition to trust fund claims, veterans and families may also pursue product liability lawsuits against companies that made asbestos insulation, gaskets, valves, pumps, turbines, brake linings, pipe coverings, and construction materials used throughout the military. These civil lawsuits do not interfere with VA benefits, and in many cases they can provide significantly higher compensation than VA disability payments alone.
Families who have lost loved ones to mesothelioma or lung cancer may also have grounds to bring a wrongful death claim, which can help recover compensation for funeral costs, medical bills, loss of income, loss of companionship, and the emotional toll the disease has taken.
Our firm has more than 40 years of experience representing victims of complex medical injuries—including cancer misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and hospital negligence.
While asbestos illnesses are not malpractice in themselves, our deep medical experience allows us to:
This combination of mass tort and medical malpractice expertise positions SSKB to provide comprehensive support for veterans and families impacted by asbestos.
This November, we encourage military families to:
If you or a loved one was exposed to asbestos during military service or on a military base, you may qualify for compensation. Our team handles these cases nationwide and will review your situation at no cost.
Call 800-675-8556 or visit our asbestos page to learn more.