Filing a VA Claim for Mesothelioma

In the United States, 30% of all of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are military veterans because of the widespread asbestos exposure.

Let’s say that you served in the military, and as a result of your service, you developed mesothelioma from being exposed to asbestos fibers. In the United States, 30 percent of all of these patients are military veterans. Years ago, the military widely used asbestos-containing products because they were fireproof.

The Occupations Most Likely to be Exposed

Some occupations have a higher likelihood of being exposed. 

In the military, some of the positions where you are most likely to have been exposed to these products include:

• Mining
• Pipefitting
• Shipyard work
• Demolition work
• Carpentry
• Flooring and roofing
• Insulation work
• Vehicle maintenance

VA Disability Compensation

If you’ve been diagnosed with this disease, the next step is to file for VA disability compensation if you are ill as a result of serving in the military. In fact, some disability benefits are tax-free and are paid to the individuals who earned it through service to our country. Anyone who served in the military and later developed this disease is entitled to some compensation and you should seek it if you were injured. 

Why Did They Design This Program?

Administrators for the program wanted to make sure that veterans were fairly compensated for serving in the military. This includes illnesses that you may have developed as a result of your service. 

How Do You File a Claim

To begin, you will first need to file a claim with the VA and submit all the necessary documentation. Keep in mind, processing a claim will take some time. Another option is for a family to receive survivor benefits as long as the veteran was first approved for a disability benefit. As soon as you have received a diagnosis for this cancer, you should file a mesothelioma VA claim. That’s because it can take some time for it to go through. 

Some of the basic requirements for filing a claim include:

• Honorable discharge
• Medical proof of illness
• Summary of where the exposure took place
• All the medical documents

You may want to speak with a VA accredited claims agent for your mesothelioma VA claim because they can help you to file your claim and they can make the claims process a much easier one. You want someone who has the knowledge and know-how to guide you through the claims process to make it much easier for you.