Question:
My husband was a machinist mate on an aircraft carrier from 1967-70 and then stationed at New London sub base 1970-71. The carrier made two med cruises and was in dry dock in at Norfolk Naval Shipyard while he was on it. Both New London and the shipyard are now EPA Superfund sites. He was exposed to trichloroethylene on a regular basis, but never to Agent Orange that we know of, although the FDR had been to Vietnam. He developed prostate cancer in 2001 (age 53) and had his prostate removed, then had radiation and Lupron therapy until the past two years. Lupron is on hold unless his psa takes a jump. Surgery left him impotent. Most recently, he had a triple bypass in 2016. He had a kidney removed because of cancer in 2017 and had a benign parathyroid tumor removed that same year. He is now in stage 3 kidney failure. He has also had a spinal fusion which left him disabled in 2003. He was on total SSDI until retirement age seven years ago. He also has hearing loss connected to his service. Does he have a case for VA disability for any of these conditions? He got hearing aids thru the VA but never filed for disability. Should he file a claim?
Jim's Reply:
He can file a claim for any or all of the conditions you mention but there are no guarantees that he would prevail on any of them. In all of those instances he has to prove the connection...for example, did TCE cause prostate cancer? While it may seem reasonable that could happen, the VA requires some medical evidence to prove that's the case. In the end there is no penalty for filing a claim with the VA. However, you must have realistic expectations of how the process works. Good luck.