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Compensation

Asbestos Exposure

Veterans who were exposed to asbestos while in service and developed a disease related to asbestos exposure may receive service-connected compensation benefits.

If you served in any of the following occupations, you may have been exposed to asbestos: mining, milling, shipyard work, insulation work, demolition of old buildings, carpentry and construction, the manufacturing and installation of products such as flooring, roofing, cement sheet, pipe products, or the servicing of friction products such as clutch facings and brake linings.

Additionally, if you served in Iraq or other countries in that region, you could have been exposed to asbestos when older buildings were damaged and the contaminant was released into the air.

Eligibility Requirements

  • You must be a Veteran who was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable
  • You must have been exposed to asbestos while in military service
  • You must have a disease or disability related to the asbestos exposure that occurred in military service

Evidence Requirements

  • The evidence must show asbestos exposure while in military service. This may include your military occupation specialty and/or where you were stationed.
  • The evidence must show you have a disease or disability related to asbestos and a relationship exists between the exposure to asbestos in military service and the disease/disability. Note: You must claim a disease or disability. Exposure, in and of itself, is not a condition that is subject to service connection.

Normally, VA will initiate a VA medical examination and request an opinion regarding the relationship of the disease or disability to asbestos exposure that occurred during military service.

How to Apply

For more information on how to apply and for tips on making sure your claim is ready to be processed by VA, visit our How to Apply page.

Learn more about health risks related to asbestos exposure from the VA Office of Public Health. If you are concerned about health problems associated with exposure to asbestos during your military service, talk to your health care provider or local VA Environmental Health Coordinator. If you are a Veteran, but are not enrolled in the VA health care system, you can find out if you qualify for VA health care.

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