The Navy has recently contracted two main fuels for both its planes and ships: JP-5 and F-76. These are refined in Washington State and San Francisco, respectively. Asbestos was once thought to be the perfect material for military assets due to its fireproof, lightweight, inexpensive, and corrosion-resistant properties. As a result, it was used extensively on all ships built starting in the late 1930s, leading to a dramatic increase in the Navy's fleet from 394 ships in 1939 to nearly 7,000 in 1945. However, the same properties that made asbestos so advantageous for shipbuilding also made it extremely hazardous for human health. When products containing asbestos are altered, asbestos fibers can be detached and inhaled, becoming lodged in the body.
Over time, this can lead to the development of a rare cancer called mesothelioma. Companies that manufactured and sold products containing asbestos misled the military about the safety of this toxic mineral. They had scientific and medical knowledge that asbestos could cause health problems, but they chose to hide this information from the public in a global effort to maximize profits at the expense of so many United States veterans. Because hazardous asbestos materials were used practically everywhere in the United States Navy ships during most of the 20th century, Navy veterans are at very high risk of developing mesothelioma from exposure to asbestos on ships. The Navy significantly reduced its use of asbestos in the 1980s, but it was too late for thousands of Americans who had already been exposed. Because mesothelioma symptoms can take 20 to 50 years to appear, some veterans who served in the Navy decades ago were only now diagnosed with this rare cancer. Asbestos was mainly used for fire protection and as an insulator on U.
S. Navy ships due to its ability to naturally trap heat and sound. It was often used to align, cover, or refill ship equipment to prevent fires aboard ships and reduce any potential damage caused by enemy gunfire. Due to the widespread use of asbestos on warships, there are many different parts of ships that may have exposed it to asbestos during their service in the Navy. This includes aircraft carriers, submarines, fire protection systems, boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, gaskets, electrical wiring insulation, deck tiles and more.
In addition to these common ship parts, asbestos was also used to help protect different areas of Navy barracks and family homes. A sad consequence of abundance is that members of the Navy had nowhere to escape asbestos. Asbestos dust was practically everywhere and being concentrated in poorly ventilated enclosed spaces didn't help. As a result, service members who worked on Navy ships or shipyards have the highest risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. By working with a law firm specializing in mesothelioma such as Sokolove Law, you can get experienced legal help to gather the evidence needed to prove your exposure to asbestos and file a lawsuit against the manufacturers of the asbestos-containing products responsible for causing your illness. Don't delay calling (800) 647-3434 for a free case review now. Get a free review of your mesothelioma case today to see if one of our VA-accredited attorneys can help.
We've helped thousands of veterans across the country get compensation. Unfortunately, the health risks of asbestos exposure also extended to the families of shipyard workers. Asbestos fibers adhere easily to fabric and other materials so they could have been brought home with workers in clothes, shoes, and hair which could have exposed loved ones to second-hand asbestos. Below you can find a list of shipyards that are known sites of asbestos exposure: [list]. Don't you see your shipyard listed above? The above list is not exhaustive. You may have still been exposed to asbestos during your naval career and we can help you determine when and where that exposure may have occurred. If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related illness such as mesothelioma you may be entitled to compensation that we can fight for on your behalf.
Get the Help You Deserve Now.
