Navy Deck Grinders May Suffer Occupational Lung Disease

Throughout the 1970s to the 1990s, Navy Veterans served as deck grinders on aircraft carriers. Many have suffered from unrecognized or misdiagnosed occupational lung disease. The grinding of the antiskid materials on the aircraft carrier decks released hazardous dust that caused many Navy deck grinders to become ill. Studies now confirm that hundreds of cases were diagnosed as pulmonary sarcoidosis instead of pneumoconiosis or silicosis, and benefits were often denied because a service connection was not made.

Symptoms of Pneumoconiosis and Silicosis

If you suffer from the following symptoms, you must seek medical treatment:

  • Lung fibrosis
  • Respiratory problems
  • Breathlessness
  • Cough
  • Chest pain
  • Cyanosis
  • Bronchitis
  • Progressive lung stiffening
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chronic cough
  • Hoarseness
  • Malaise
  • Loss of appetite
  • Sleep problems
  • Inflamed lungs
  • Scarred lungs
  • Bluish skin

Benefits for Navy Deck Grinders

If you worked as a Navy deck grinder to remove the nonskid adhesive off the decks of aircraft carriers to ready them for resurfacing, you may have inhaled toxic silica dust that may result in lung disease. The Navy regulations required deck grinders to wear masks, but few supervisors enforced the safety measure.

Navy deck grinders are encouraged to seek medical treatment from the VA and file for benefits if they suffer from a lung disorder. Cases that were denied in the past must be reevaluated to determine if you were wrongfully denied.

Help from Fight4Vets

As Veterans of the United States, you should receive all the benefits you are entitled to receive. The counsel at Fight4Vets takes great pride in helping our Veterans with all their benefit needs. If you have suffered for years from lung problems, and you served as a Navy deck grinder, do not hesitate to call our office for assistance. We will help and guide you through the process of determining what benefits you are owed. Call today for a free consultation.

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