Many veterans who served in the military through the decades have, unknowingly, suffered the effects of burn pit exposure. As a result, they suffered from serious medical issues without explanation or recourse, at least until relatively recently. But what exactly is burn pit exposure, and how might it have affected you as a veteran?
What Are Burn Pits?
Burn pits are essentially what they sound like: large pits dug into the ground that were used by the military to dispose of waste by burning it. However, the issue is that much of the material disposed of via burn pits were not necessarily safe for burning, and in some cases may have contained toxic or carcinogenic substances. This has led many people who were exposed to burn pits to develop serious health problems, both during and after their service.
How Might You Be Exposed to a Burn Pit?
Generally speaking, people suffering from the effects of burn pit exposure are veterans who lived on or near military bases during their service. Unfortunately, their family members were also potentially victims, as they may have been exposed to toxic smoke from these pits when the wind blew it over their homes. However, many of the effects of this exposure did not become evident until years afterwards.
What Are the Effects of Burn Pit Exposure?
Burn pit exposure has been tied to a number of serious health issues. These include, but are not limited to:
- Asthma
- COPD
- Emphysema
- High blood pressure
- Ischemic strokes
- Insomnia
- Lung cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Brain cancer
- Lymphoma
You can learn more about these medical conditions here.
What Should You Do?
If you or someone you love is a veteran who has suffered the effects of burn pit exposure, you may be entitled to disability benefits through the VA. However, to get the best chance possible of getting those benefits, you need to speak to a lawyer with experience handling disability claims. They can not only help you file a claim, they can argue on your behalf if your claim is denied and needs to be appealed.
The attorneys of Sullivan & Kehoe place a special focus on assisting disabled veterans. Our veterans’ disability lawyers are still available for remote consultation on your legal issues. Call our office at (800) 395-7830 to schedule a consultation in our New York City, Garden City, Kings Park, Riverhead, or White Plains office, or visit our contact page.
