One month after being diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer, our client, a U.S. Naval veteran, underwent surgery at the Tampa Bay VA Hospital to have his upper right lobe removed.

Then doctors noticed the cancer moving to his left lung. The treatment they prescribed for his condition stemming from asbestos exposure in the Navy included eight rounds of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments.

“I have trouble swallowing,” he said at a recent deposition hearing when asked how his lung condition has affected his daily routines. “It’s related to the radiation, I suppose.”

At 6’1” and 245 pounds, this strapping Navy veteran who once served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lake Chaplin as Boilerman-2nd Class has been reduced to a shadow of his former self by occupational asbestos exposure related to his former duties aboard ship.

Weitz & Luxenberg is currently representing this serviceman in an asbestos-injury lawsuit against the asbestos product manufacturers who supplied the U.S. Navy for decades with toxic insulation materials – and did so without any warning to sailors about the health risks associated with asbestos.

Asbestos exposure in the Navy

Throughout WWII and decades afterward, to protect sailors against excessive heat below deck, Naval personnel were required to generously wrap asbestos insulation materials around all oil, water and steam pipes, ship’s boilers, valves, pumps and anything generating heat. “It’s everywhere. Anywhere you went aboard that ship you were subject to asbestos,” our client testified.

But asbestos – the material chosen to protect Naval personnel – has ironically contributed to the deaths of the very men it was chosen to protect. Thousands more Navy veterans have died from asbestos exposure than were ever saved by the material’s heat-retardant properties.

Some 3,000 cases of asbestos-related cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, and nearly a third of them are retired Naval personnel, say medical authorities.

Asbestos diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma often take decades to develop into asbestos cancer symptoms that can be diagnosed. That’s why most Navy personnel who develop asbestos-related cancers have been retired from the military for some time, sometimes up to 30 years or more.

Limited activities

After lung surgery and after his eighth round of chemotherapy, the retired boiler worker came down with pneumonia and was sent back to the Tampa Bay VA Hospital for two more days to recover.

His law firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, obtained a $372,500 settlement for him and his wife against the asbestos-product manufacturers that contributed to his condition. Their last check ($89,000) was mailed to them several weeks ago and will help the couple recover from expensive medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Yet despite the valiant efforts of his law firm – Weitz & Luxenberg – no amount of cash can return this serviceman’s health nor the enjoyment he use to get from his life’s No. 1 passion, golf.

“I just like to be active, that's all. I hate missing my golf because I have so many friends that I played with for 35 years. You won't believe, they call and ask when I'm coming back. I can't give them an offer.”

Weitz & Luxenberg Lawyers

Weitz & Luxenberg asbestos attorneys have obtained large verdicts and settlements for asbestos-injured servicemen for more than two decades, often setting records for asbestos-related settlements.

If you are a retired serviceman that has been diagnosed with an asbestos disease, and seek a free legal consultation to evaluate your eligibility for financial compensation, please contact our firm through the communication form above. We will respond immediately to your questions at no cost, whatsoever.

Please know, there are no upfront legal fees required until we secure a settlement or a verdict in your favor.