Free, One-on-One Help for Veterans and Their Families.
Officers who supervised engine rooms, boiler rooms, shipyards and maintenance crews breathed the same air as the people they led. Asbestos insulated and fireproofed ships, vehicles, aircraft, barracks and base buildings from the 1930s through the 1980s, so exposure was not limited to one job or one branch. Mesothelioma usually appears 20 to 50 years after exposure, which is why veterans who served in the 1960s, 70s and 80s are being diagnosed today. Veterans make up about 1 in 3 mesothelioma cases in the U.S.
What Every Veteran Should Know:
Veterans can use all three at the same time. Pursuing one does not reduce the others.
The VA rates mesothelioma at 100% disabling, its highest rating. Approved veterans receive tax-free monthly compensation, which starts at $3,938.58 for a single veteran in 2026, plus VA health care. Surviving spouses may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
The companies that made and sold asbestos products, many of which supplied the military, set aside more than $30 billion in trust funds for people diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. Many veterans qualify for more than one trust, and trust fund claims do not affect VA benefits.
Veterans can be treated at VA medical centers or, through the VA's community care program, by civilian mesothelioma specialists. Our team helps veterans find doctors who understand how military service relates to this cancer.
Find Out If You Qualify
Veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease after exposure in the military or at a civilian job may qualify for VA benefits, trust fund compensation or both.
For VA benefits, you need an honorable or general discharge, a confirmed diagnosis and medical evidence connecting the illness to asbestos exposure during service. For trust fund claims, an attorney reviews your branch, your job, where you served and when you were diagnosed.
Since 2006, The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com has supported more than half of all U.S. mesothelioma patients. Our Veterans Department is led by a former U.S. Army captain, and its only focus is helping veterans and their families with VA claims, treatment and compensation after asbestos exposure.
We don't just hand you a name. If you decide to pursue a trust fund claim, we help you choose an attorney you feel comfortable with, one with experience in cases built on military asbestos exposure.
Get Help Now
Yes. If most of a veteran’s lifetime asbestos exposure happened during active duty, the VA classifies mesothelioma as a service-connected disability eligible for compensation and health care benefits.
Yes. Asbestos insulated the pipes, boilers and machinery of ships, the vehicles and buildings on bases, and the hangars where aircraft were maintained. Anyone who worked, lived or stood watch in those spaces breathed the same air, regardless of rank.
No. Mesothelioma usually appears 20 to 50 years after exposure, so veterans who served in the 1960s, 70s and 80s are being diagnosed now. It is never too late to ask for help.
No. VA claims draw on government benefits, while trust fund claims draw on money set aside by the companies that made and sold asbestos products. Filing one does not affect the other, and veterans often pursue both.
Tell your doctor about your service history and any exposure, and ask to be screened for asbestos-related diseases, especially if you have chest pain, shortness of breath or a persistent cough. Keep a record of your assignments, ships and duties in case you need them later.
Yes. Surviving spouses of veterans who died from service-connected mesothelioma may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation and for trust fund claims. Family members diagnosed after secondhand exposure may qualify for help in their own right. Our team helps families too, at no cost.
Share your service history with your doctor, then complete the form above or call us. It only takes a few minutes.
We help with your VA claim and, if a trust fund claim fits, connect you with a top mesothelioma lawyer.
Whether it is a VA claim, a trust fund claim or both, our team helps you get started now.
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If you are looking for mesothelioma support, please contact our Patient Advocates at (866) 784-7694
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