Navy veterans & mesothelioma
Navy veterans alone account for around 25% of all U.S. mesothelioma cases — the highest per-capita rate of any subpopulation. If you served in the U.S. Navy and were diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer, you may be entitled to compensation from asbestos lawsuits and asbestos trust funds. This is separate from VA disability — most veterans pursue all three at once.
Free, confidential case review · No upfront cost · Independent informational resource
Free Navy veteran case review
No upfront cost. Free, confidential. No obligation.
How Navy veterans were exposed to asbestos
Asbestos was used extensively throughout U.S. Navy ships from the 1930s through the 1980s — insulating boilers, steam turbines, pipes, gaskets, valve packing, brake linings, fireproofing materials, and electrical insulation. Sailors who worked in engineering spaces, repair shops, and shipyards were exposed every shift. Even sailors with non-engineering rates breathed fibers carried throughout the ship by ventilation systems and shipboard movement.
Roles with the heaviest asbestos exposure
- Boiler Technician (BT)
- Machinist Mate (MM)
- Hull Maintenance Technician (HT)
- Pipefitter (PF)
- Electrician's Mate (EM)
- Engineman (EN)
- Fireman (FN)
- Damage Controlman (DC)
- Fire Control Technician (FC)
- Sonar Technician (ST)
Where exposure was most common
- Aircraft carriers (CV/CVN class)
- Battleships (BB class)
- Cruisers (CG/CA class)
- Destroyers (DD/DDG class)
- Submarines (SS/SSN class)
- Naval shipyards (Norfolk, Mare Island, Pearl Harbor, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Charleston, Portsmouth, Long Beach, Puget Sound)
Era of service
Asbestos use was heaviest in the WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War eras. Mesothelioma typically appears 20–50 years after exposure, which means veterans diagnosed today were often exposed during these decades.
Three compensation streams — not just one
Most eligible veterans pursue all three at the same time:
- Asbestos tort lawsuits against the private companies that made the asbestos-containing products used in the military.
- Asbestos bankruptcy trust fund claims against the trusts those companies left behind. Many veterans qualify for 5–8 trusts at once.
- VA disability benefits (handled separately through a VA-accredited representative — not through this site).
The three streams do not conflict. See how lawsuits and VA disability stack →