Longtime Navy Supplier Sets Up $75 Million Trust For Veterans With Mesothelioma

During the bankruptcy proceeding of a company that provided valves, gaskets and other products coated in asbestos for the U.S. Navy, a $75 million trust was established to help those who were exposed to asbestos and have mesothelioma.

Our mesothelioma lawyers for years have been helping our U.S. veterans, who have suffered the effects of exposure to asbestos, which was once a popular material used in all kinds of residential and commercial construction, as well as naval uses and car parts. Companies that used this natural mineral found that it was dangerous to employees, but too often ignored those risks.

Researchers and doctors eventually discovered that exposure to asbestos was harmful to employees and others who may have been nearby. Asbestos is a flaky mineral that can easily become airborne and ingested.

A frustrating aspect of asbestos exposure that results in mesothelioma is that it can linger for years or decades inside a person without any outward symptoms. As the asbestos forms tumors and mesothelioma, the person may discover some of the symptoms — heavy coughing, fluid build-up and chest pain. By then, the cancer is typically in its later stages.

So, even though the cancer can take decades to form, once a person is diagnosed with mesothelioma, they live only an average of 12 months. For such a long-working form of cancer, it can kill quickly, once discovered. Researchers have been trying to develop treatment options that may result in a cure or at least a prolonging of life, but thus far haven’t found one.

As our Mesothelioma Lawyer Blog has reported recently, scientists are looking at many options to determine if there is a potential cure for this deadly cancer.

This is the situation that many of our veterans are in today. They served our country faithfully for years or decades, only to face a life-threatening health crisis later in life. Now, in retirement, they are suffering from illnesses that resulted from that service time.

Because of laws that are designed to protect the government from lawsuits, suing the Navy can be pointless due caps on damages. But companies that contracted with the Navy have been exposed to litigation.

In this case, it involves Leslie Controls, which provided gaskets, valves and other products containing asbestos between the 1940s and 1980s for the Navy. The company has been slammed with lawsuits, causing it to file for bankruptcy protection. As part of a recent reorganization plan, the company dedicated $75 million, placed into a trust, for victims who were exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos has been linked not only to mesothelioma but other respiratory illnesses as well. The company is protected from lawsuits while the bankruptcy proceeding is taking place, but experts believe the lawsuits will continue once the bankruptcy is completed.

This company understands that its products have harmed many people and killed others. Exposure to asbestos is dangerous and companies that regularly used it have been facing lawsuits from sick people and families of those who have died as a result. If you or a family member was exposed to asbestos during service in the armed forces, it is time to seek legal representation.

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U.S. Troops and Veterans At Risk For Mesothelioma: February 14, 2012