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Serving in the Coast Guard involves a variety of responsibilities, many of which may bring people in contact with asbestos. Because asbestos is heat and corrosion resistant, and is inexpensive and durable, it was a popular material for all branches of the military, especially on warships. However, because it was so popular, many members of the military developed mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to asbestos.
Though the Coast Guard technically has a lower number of mesothelioma cases than other branches of the military, that’s only because it’s the smallest branch of the military. In fact, the risk of developing mesothelioma after serving in the Coast Guard is similar to that of Navy veterans.
Asbestos was an ideal material for ships, and it was used on a variety of vessels, from long-range interceptors to tugboats. The Coast Guard continued using asbestos on ships and other vessels through the 1970s before its use was regulated by the federal government.
Now, veterans of the Coast Guard may be eligible to receive benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs if they have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. However, certain criteria must be met.
Eligibility for Mesothelioma Benefits from the VA
In order to qualify for mesothelioma benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, you must be able to prove four things. One, your doctor must prove you have mesothelioma. Second, it must be proven your mesothelioma was directly related to your service in the Coast Guard.
Third, you must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Finally, the VA must consider you at least 10 percent disabled (for almost all mesothelioma cases, the VA considers those afflicted to be 100 percent disabled).
Once eligibility is met, there are two ways to file a claim. The traditional claim requires the VA to “develop” the claim, and can take up to 8 months to be approved. The “Fully developed claim” is an expedited process that takes about half that time to finalize.
Rights of Civilians Who Worked with the Coast Guard
It’s not unusual for the Coast Guard and other branches of the military to contract civilians to complete certain jobs, such as electrical or plumbing work. However, those civilians were also at risk of asbestos exposure and subsequent mesothelioma development. Those civilians have rights to compensation.
However, civilians will need to go through traditional methods to obtain compensation, such as filing a lawsuit or filing a claim for disability from the Social Security Administration.
