Jon Stewart Advocates for Veterans and First Responders Exposed to Burn Pits

New Jersey Attorney for Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits

A large number of veterans exposed to burn pits say they have developed serious diseases and injuries due to their past exposures.

What are Burn Pits, and What is Burn Pit Exposure?

A burn pit is an area devoted to the open-air combustion of trash. Open burn pits are common to dispose of human, military, and even hazardous waste at the United States military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. These burn pits are typically found outside of the U.S. This was a common practice, but now Researchers see long-term health effects caused by burn pits.

Once somebody has initial exposure to burn pits, they could see symptoms often including irritation and/ burning in the eyes, throat, and skin; difficulty breathing; itching skin; and harsh rashes. These burn pit exposure symptoms often appear following initial exposure. However, burn pits have caused long-term health problems for war veterans.

How are Burn Pits affecting war veterans?

Many Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans exposed to burn pits were unaware of the severe damage that open-air burn pits can cause.

Will Thompson, a veteran, developed severe lung damage because of his exposure to burn pits while he was on duty. He spoke about it on NBC News, saying: “They said that my lungs looked like an 80-year-old coal miner.” Thompson’s doctor told him he needed a double-lung transplant because the damage to his lungs is so severe. Unfortunately, Thompson had no idea that the burn pits could harm his health.

He is one of the numerous other war veterans living with the side-effects of open-air burn pits near U.S. military bases.

What Jon Stewart is Doing to Help Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits

Jon Stewart is on a mission to advocate for those veterans who have been exposed to burn pits. Many of these veterans attempt to seek treatment from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs hospital, but the V.A. hospitals are making it difficult for veterans to obtain treatment. The VA hospital requires veterans to provide evidence that their health issues were caused directly due to burning pits, but this is not an easy feat for many veterans.

Jon Stewart, who advocated for firefighters during 9/11, began noticing parallels between 9/11 and Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, all who have been exposed to burn pits of some kind. For 9/11 first responders, they were exposed to airplane fuel igniting and burning in the open in New York City. They were essentially standing on top of a giant burn pit. 9/11 first responders and war veterans have shown common symptoms after their exposure to burn pits. As Jon Stewart said, “The smoking gun in this situation is quite literally a smoking gun.”

Contact Drazin & Warshaw Today

Burn pits have caused a rising number of war veterans to develop severe and sometimes even fatal diseases due to their exposure to burn pits. If you or a loved one were exposed to burn pits due to 9/11 or Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, we could help. Don’t let your medical bills pile up while you wait to get better. Now you need an aggressive attorney on your side from Drazin & Warshaw. We represent those in Middlesex, Monmouth, Union, Ocean, and Essex counties in New Jersey, including Hazlet, Keansburg, Old Bridge, Clark, and Elizabeth.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.