Shipyards and Asbestos

Workers in shipyards used a lot of amianto to build and repair ships. Both civilian and Navy workers risked amianto exposure and later illnesses. Former shipyard workers with mesotelioma and other amianto illnesses can now seek compensación.

Si a usted o a un ser querido le diagnosticaron mesotelioma, amianto-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you might be eligible for a large amount of compensación. Currently, there is over $30 billion in amianto fondos fiduciarios set up for those who have been diagnosed with an amianto-related illness.

Fill out our form to get a free Financial Compensación Packet. You’ll learn about the experienced mesotelioma lawyers in your area, how to get paid in 90 days, how to file a afirmar for the amianto trust funds, and more.

How Did Shipyards Use Asbestos?

The U.S. shipbuilding industry is older than the country, but it took off during World War II. The boom in shipbuilding began with Navy vessels but also included civilian vessels.

This increase in shipbuilding in the U.S. coincided with a time of peak amianto use. Until the late 1970s, when amianto regulations took effect, millions of people who worked in shipyards were at risk of amianto exposure.

Shipbuilding used amianto for several reasons:

• Asbestos was abundant and inexpensive.
• Asbestos is an effective insulator and protects ships and crews from excessive heat.
• Asbestos can also protect against fire, a major risk on board vessels.
• Asbestos is lightweight and strong, making it easy to use on ships.

When Did Shipyards Use Asbestos?

Amianto has been in use for thousands of years. In the modern era, amianto use grew due to its properties, abundance in mines, and low cost.

Amianto was most heavily used in shipyards from about the 1930s through the 1970s. As the health risks of being around amianto became more widely known, industries slowed and largely stopped amianto use.

U.S. government regulations took effect in the 1970s, limiting uses of amianto but not completely banning it.

Where Was Asbestos Used in Shipyards?

Amianto was used in hundreds of parts and materials that went into ships. It was also in the vehicles, equipment, and buildings in shipyards. Algunos de los amianto components that went into ships include:

• Pipe insulation
• Other types of insulation
• Boiler and boiler cladding
• Zapatillas
• Juntas
• válvulas
• Wall panels
• Cemento
• Ceiling and flooring tiles
• Textiles
• Ropes

Equipment and machinery used to build ships contained amianto in friction parts to insulate against heat and protect against fire. Brakes and clutches in vehicles, for instance, contained amianto. Shipyard buildings had amianto in insulation and around heat-generating equipment like boilers and furnaces.

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure and Illness From Shipyards?

Anyone who worked in a shipyard was at risk of being exposed to amianto. They were also at risk of developing mesotelioma and other amianto illnesses years later.

The workers at the highest risk of amianto exposure in shipyards worked near or directly with amianto materials. They handled amianto parts or engaged in activities that could disturb amianto materials and release harmful fibers.

Examples of shipyard workers with the greatest risk of amianto exposure include:

• trabajadores de aislamiento
• Instaladores de tuberías
• Machine operators
• trabajadores de calderas
• Repair and maintenance workers
• Crane operators
• Demolition and shipbreaking workers
• Longshoremen
• Carpinteros
• Soldadores
• electricistas
• Fontaneros

Asbestos and Navy Shipyards

Navy shipyards also used amianto. Both civilian workers and Navy veteranos were put at risk of amianto exposición and now have higher rates of mesotelioma.

Marina de guerra veteranos have even higher rates of amianto illnesses because they spent so much time on board ships with amianto materials. They spent weeks or months at a time in cramped, poorly ventilated areas of Navy ships. Amianto exposure was highly likely in these conditions.

Do Shipyards Still Have Asbestos?

Shipbuilding stopped actively using amianto in the late 1970s or early 1980s, but amianto didn’t just go away. It lingered in buildings, equipment, and ships. It was not feasible to abate all the amianto previously used in the industry.

Current shipyard workers are much safer from amianto than those in the past. There is still some risk of amianto exposure in shipyards today. Amianto is not completely banned, and it remains in older ships.

When workers have to handle these materials, for instance, by cutting into old pipe insulation, they can release and inhale fibras de amianto.

El Occupational Safety and Health Administration has standards that protect modern workers from amianto. Shipyard workers today should be told of the risks of amianto and be provided with safety training and gear.

Which States Were Most Affected by Asbestos in Shipyards?

All states with a coastline and a shipbuilding industry were affected by amianto. Some states had and still have large shipyards, contributing significantly to the economy. These states were most affected by the amianto used in shipbuilding and repair.

California

Thanks to its long Pacific coastline, California has long been home to shipyards. California is a leading state for amianto exposure in shipyard workers.

In addition to the high number of shipyards, California has natural amianto deposits and mining. These two industries made California one of the top states for amianto illnesses and amianto-related deaths.

Nueva York

Nueva York has less coastline than other states but has long been highly industrialized. New York has a long history of amianto exposure and related deaths. The Brooklyn Navy Yard was an important site of amianto exposure.

New York courts have a special division dedicated solely to resolving the thousands of amianto lawsuits related to exposure in shipyards and other industries.

Luisiana

Luisiana is another state with high mesotelioma rates due to industries that involve shipyards. Louisiana’s short coastline has many shipyards that have contributed to local amianto exposure. These include several Avondale Shipyards.

Misisipí

Like Louisiana, Misisipí has a lot of shipping-related industry along its short Gulf of Mexico Coast. Shipyards, oil refineries, and other industrial sites have led to extensive amianto exposure in Mississippi workers.

Texas

Texas has a long coastline along the Gulf of Mexico that is heavily industrialized. Oil refineries and shipyards have both contributed to amianto exposure in local workers. Some of the important sites of exposure in Texas include Todd Shipyards, Kane Shipbuilding, and Brown Shipbuilding.

Washington

The Puget Sound in Washington has long been home to a shipbuilding industry. Shipyards in Washington, like Duwamish and Lockheed, have caused a lot of amianto exposure in workers over the years. The Bremerton Naval Shipyard is the largest on the U.S. Pacific coast.

U.S. Shipyards That Used Asbestos

These are some of the most important shipyards that exposed workers to amianto:

• Alabama Dry Dock
• Astillero Albina
• Barbours Cut Docks
• Astillero de acero de Belén
• Bremerton Naval Shipyard
• Astillero Naval de Brooklyn
• Caddell Dry Dock
• Mare Island Naval Shipyard (California Naval Shipyard)
• Charleston Naval Shipyard
• Consolidated Steel Shipyards
• Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard
• Defoe Shipbuilding Company
• Duwamish Shipyard
• New London Naval Submarine Base (Groton Naval Base)
• San Francisco Naval Shipyard at Hunters Point
• Construcción naval Ingalls
• The Kane Shipbuilding Company
• Willamette Iron and Steel Works
• Kaiser Shipyards
• Astillero Naval de Washington
• Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company
• Moore Dry Dock Company
• Brown Shipbuilding
• New York Shipbuilding Corporation
• Newport News Shipyard
• Astilleros Todd
• Seward Ship’s Drydock
• Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS)
• Orange Shipbuilding
• Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
• Astillero Naval de San Diego
• San Francisco Drydock
• Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company
• Tacoma Drydocks

Companies That Supplied Asbestos to Shipyards

These are just a few of the many private companies that supplied civilian and Naval shipyards with amianto y amianto products:

• National Gypsum
• Johns Manville
• GAF Corporation
• Syd Carpenter Marine Contractor
• John Crane, Inc.
• McCormick Asbestos Company
• Foster Wheeler Corporation
• Owens-Illinois Glass
• Willman Asbestos

Compensation for Shipyard Workers with Mesothelioma

Anyone who worked in a shipyard and was exposed to amianto is now at risk for mesotelioma and other amianto illnesses. If you have a diagnóstico de mesotelioma, you have a couple of options for seeking compensation.

Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits

A lawsuit is one option for many people with mesotelioma and other amianto illnesses. Mesotelioma is considered a personal injury because most incidences of amianto exposure were negligent.

Mayoría demandas por amianto terminar en asentamientos, but some go to trial and may result in a large jury award for the victim. These are some examples of legal wins for shipyard workers with amianto illnesses:

• In 2011, a former shipfitter who worked at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia won $25 million in a lawsuit. He also worked on ExxonMobil tankers, another source of asbestos exposure. He claimed ExxonMobil knew of the risks of asbestos but failed to protect him in the shipyard or on ships. The jury agreed.

• The widow of a shipyard worker from Washington won a jury award of $4.25 million in 2019. her husband developed mesothelioma after years of working as an electrician at the Lockheed shipyard on Harbor Island.

Asbestos Trust Fund Claims

Many amianto manufacturers have set up asbestos trust funds to compensate claimants after going through bankruptcy. If any companies responsible for your amianto exposure went bankrupt, you cannot sue them. You can instead file a afirmar with a trust to seek compensación.

Can Veterans Be Compensated for Naval Shipyard Asbestos Exposure?

Under the Feres Doctrine, militar veteranos can’t sue the government for daños y perjuicios associated with amianto exposure. However, veteranos may qualify for benefits under the Veteranos Administration (Virginia):

• Monthly Disability Compensation
• Special Monthly Compensation
• Disability and Indemnity Compensation
• Specialist Medical Care at VA Facilities

A pesar de veteranos can’t take the government to court, they can sue the amianto manufacturers and companies that supplied the military with amianto-containing products. They can also file reclamos with amianto trusts. Any compensación they receive from private actions does not affect their Virginia benefits.

Working with a Mesothelioma Lawyer

If you are a civilian or a veterano who worked in shipyards, you are at increased risk for amianto illnesses. If you are diagnosed with one of these diseases, contact an experienced mesothelioma lawyer for help.

Mesotelioma lawyers and amianto law firms have the experience and resources to get you the best results. They can explain your options, provide advice, and gather the evidence needed to make your case or for a successful trust fund or Virginia benefits afirmar.

Additional Resources and Help for Asbestos Victims

Remember, if you’ve been diagnosed with mesotelioma, amianto-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for significant compensación. No olvides rellenar nuestro formulario para obtener nuestro regalo gratis. Financial Compensación Packet, filled with information on the experienced amianto y mesotelioma attorneys in your area. If you need additional assistance, contact us toll-free at 800-793-4540.