Navy Service, Asbestos Exposure, and Your Family's Next Step

Navy Veteran Mesothelioma Claim in Florida: Your Options

A Navy veteran or shipyard worker with mesothelioma in Florida may have several options. These include:

• VA disability benefits
• Claims through asbestos bankruptcy trusts (funds set up by companies that went bankrupt because of asbestos claims)
• Lawsuits against companies or others whose conduct contributed to the exposure

Which options apply depends on where and how the exposure happened. This guide explains each option in plain language.

Who This Page Is For

This page is for Navy veterans and former shipyard workers who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. It is also for the spouses, children, and other family members who help them look into a possible claim.

A diagnosis can bring fear and many questions at once. Families often search late at night. They try to understand what comes next.

That is a hard place to be. You don’t have to figure it all out in one sitting.

This page covers three things:

• How asbestos exposure happens in naval and shipyard work
• Why mesothelioma can appear decades later
• What benefit and claim paths may be open in Florida

This page is educational. It does not replace the care or advice of your doctors. Please follow your treatment team’s plan.

How Navy Service and Shipyard Work Led to Asbestos Exposure

Asbestos was widely used in naval ships and shipyards. Navy sailors and shipyard workers may have been exposed during their work.

Asbestos was found in:

• Insulation
• Pipe lagging (the covering wrapped around pipes)
• Gaskets and packing (seals)
• Materials around boilers and engines

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reviewed occupational asbestos exposure data covering installation, use, repair, and disposal work. These activities can release asbestos fibers into the air.

Common exposure situations include:

• Work in engine rooms, boiler rooms, and damage-control areas
• Cutting, removing, or installing insulation during ship construction, repair, or refit (overhaul)
• Work near materials that others were disturbing
• Take-home exposure, where family members were exposed through work clothes or household contact

Take-home exposure matters. A spouse or child who washed a worker’s clothes may also have a claim path to consider.

Start a written exposure history now. Include:

• Ship names and hull numbers
• Dates and duty stations
• Job titles
• Names of shipmates or coworkers who can confirm the work

This history shapes every claim path. Waiting years to gather it is one of the most common and costly mistakes families make.

Why Mesothelioma Can Appear Decades Later

Mesothelioma usually appears decades after asbestos exposure. Many veterans don’t connect their illness to their service until after diagnosis.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the thin lining that covers the lungs, abdomen, or other body cavities. The Palm Beach County Department of Health states that asbestos fiber-release exposure is associated with mesothelioma.

A claim depends on where and how the person was exposed. The date of diagnosis is not the only factor.

Florida law sets a special rule for asbestos claims. Under Fla. Stat. § 774.206, for asbestos or silica claims not barred as of the act’s effective date, the limitations period (the deadline to file) does not start until the exposed person discovers, or through reasonable diligence should have discovered, that he or she is physically impaired by an asbestos-related or silica-related condition.

Please follow your doctors’ care and treatment plan. This page does not offer medical advice.

Compensation Paths for Navy Veterans and Shipyard Workers

Navy veterans and shipyard workers with mesothelioma may pursue VA benefits, asbestos trust claims, or lawsuits. These paths are separate. They can run alone or together.

VA disability compensation. Federal law covers disability from a disease caught in line of duty during a period of war. It covers veterans discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. It does not cover disability caused by willful misconduct or by abuse of alcohol or drugs (38 U.S.C. § 1110).

Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303, a disease diagnosed after discharge may be “service connected” (linked to military service). This can apply when the evidence shows the disease began during service.

Asbestos bankruptcy trusts. Many companies that made asbestos products set up trusts. These trusts may pay claims separately from a lawsuit.

Lawsuits. A lawsuit may be possible against companies or others whose products or conduct contributed to the exposure. Florida has its own asbestos rules.

For example, a nonmalignant asbestos claim (one not involving cancer) is a separate cause of action (a separate legal claim) from a claim for asbestos-related cancer (Fla. Stat. § 774.206).

Florida’s general filing rules appear in Fla. Stat. § 95.11. Deadlines apply to every path. Contact a lawyer promptly.

A case may be referred to, or handled together with, another law firm. We will tell you if that applies to your matter.

What a Mesothelioma Claim Can Cover and What Shapes Its Value

A mesothelioma claim can seek compensation for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, and under Florida wrongful death law a surviving spouse may also recover for loss of the decedent’s companionship. The facts of the exposure and the records shape what a claim can support.

Losses often claimed include:

• Medical and treatment costs
• Lost income and lost earning capacity (the ability to earn money in the future)
• Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship for the family

Florida law limits some damages. Punitive damages (extra damages meant to punish a wrongdoer) may not be awarded in any civil action alleging an asbestos or silica claim (Fla. Stat. § 774.207).

If a veteran or worker has died, family members may have wrongful death rights. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.21, a surviving spouse may recover for loss of the decedent’s (the person who died) companionship and protection. A surviving spouse may also recover for mental pain and suffering from the date of injury.

Several factors influence what a claim is worth:

• The documented exposure history, including ships, sites, and dates
• Medical records and the confirmed diagnosis
• Which products or companies are connected to the exposure
• Which trust and legal paths are available

We can’t promise any amount. Averages and past figures don’t predict the outcome of your claim.

How the Claim Process Works, Step by Step

The process starts with a free, confidential consultation. It then moves through records, benefit review, and filing. Each step builds on the one before it.

1. Initial consultation. You share the diagnosis and service or work history. The consultation is free and confidential. It carries no obligation to continue.
2. Exposure history. We help organize service records, ship and shipyard names, dates, and witness information.
3. Medical records. We gather records and confirm the diagnosis with the treating doctors.
4. Path review. We review VA, trust, and lawsuit options together.
5. Filing. Claims and lawsuits must be filed within Florida deadlines. Timing needs prompt attention.
6. Resolution. Claims may be negotiated, resolved, or litigated (taken to court). Timelines vary widely and can’t be predicted in advance.

CHG charges no attorney’s fees and no case costs unless there is a recovery.

Why CHG Personal Injury Lawyers

CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida-based firm. It handles personal injury cases throughout Florida. The firm’s case types include mesothelioma and asbestos disease claims.

• Licensed attorneys. The firm’s attorneys are admitted to The Florida Bar.
• Responsible lawyer. Igor Hernandez is the responsible lawyer for this page.
• Plain-language process. Our lawyers explain VA, trust, and lawsuit options before any decision.
• Support staff. Our team helps gather records and keeps families informed.
• Full range of cases. The firm takes personal injury cases of every severity, from everyday accidents to catastrophic injuries.

Past results don’t predict future matters. No outcome can be promised.

Frequently Asked Questions