US Navy Asbestos Exposure
As a nation, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who fought to defend our freedom in times of war. Tragically, many of our country’s servicemen and women did not realize that while risking their lives to protect our country, they were also risking the development of mesothelioma and other diseases caused by Navy asbestos exposure on ships and in shipyards.
Asbestos was commonly used in the construction of U.S. Navy ships, as well as large commercial vessels, for many decades. The brave veterans who served onboard these ships were often exposed to this toxic substance without knowing of its hazards, some of them discovering too late that it caused their mesothelioma or other serious illnesses.
Working on the overhaul and repairs of the vessels in the shipyards could cause significant direct and bystander asbestos exposure. Navy veterans serving on the ships, where asbestos-products were used in a great variety of applications—particularly in the engine rooms—could have also been exposed to the fibers.
The workers in America’s shipyards, who built and maintained our country’s Naval fleet and our shipping industry’s commercial vessels, were exposed to asbestos during construction, overhaul and repair of the vessels. They, too, are at increased risk of developing mesothelioma as a result of their occupational Navy asbestos exposure.
Baron & Budd has represented many Navy veterans who have developed mesothelioma from their exposure to asbestos during their service to our country. We seek compensation from the manufacturers and suppliers of the asbestos-containing products that were used in the construction and maintenance of Navy ships; we do NOT file suit against the Navy. Our firm is honored to have represented the family of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Jr., former Chief of Naval Operations, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1999.
In these pages, learn more about the ships of the United States Navy and the shipyards where these great ships and large commercial vessels were constructed and serviced.
US Navy Battleships
Battleships in the United States Navy have been traditionally named after U.S. States. Though they were once the principal ships of the naval fleet, aircraft carriers took over that role by the time World War II began. Unfortunately for the brave veterans who served on the battleships, they were extremely susceptible to aerial attack. World War II used battleships primarily for shore bombardment and carrier escorts.
US Navy Aircraft Carriers
The U.S. Navy began using aircraft carriers after World War I. Their primary mission is to deploy and recover military aircraft as floating airbases. By the time World War II began, aircraft carriers had replaced battleships as the principal ships in the fleet. The brave veterans who served onboard the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers included Navy sailors, naval aviators and Marine detachments to man the aircraft.
Cruisers
Until the 1950s, U.S. Navy cruisers were specifically designed to be larger than destroyers and smaller than battleships. Historically, they have been named after U.S. and international cities. Both heavy cruisers and light cruisers—differentiated by the size of their guns by the London Naval Treaty in 1930—were used in World War II to attack enemy merchant ships and serve with the battle fleet.
Submarines
Submarines saw wide use in World War I, but it was in World War II that U.S. Navy submarines really proved their worth. These underwater vessels, historically named after types of fish, destroyed more Japanese vessels in WWII than all other weapons combined. The brave veterans who served aboard U.S. Navy submarines fired countless torpedoes at the enemy, but their own casualties also were high when the enemies caught them underwater.
Destroyers
Destroyers have served the U.S. Navy for many years, protecting larger vessels from torpedo boats, submarines and aircraft. Many destroyers, historically named after prominent Navy officers, were fitted out with new antiaircraft and antisubmarine warfare equipment during World War II. Many of the U.S. Navy destroyers that WWII veterans served on were converted into guided missile destroyers in the decades that followed.
Shipyards
In the shipyards, sometimes called dockyards, these large Naval vessels—as well as commercial vessels—were constructed, overhauled and repaired. Work was regularly being done on these vessels while they were in the shipyards. During building, repair and overhaul of the large vessels, asbestos-containing materials would have to be torn out of the ships and replaced. Workers directly engaged in work on the ship were often subjected to substantial asbestos exposure, and so were the longshoreman who loaded and unloaded ships in the yards.