Sources of Asbestos Exposure / Asbestos in the U.S. Navy / List of Ship Classes / Asbestos on Battleships

For many years, the battleship was, by far, the most powerful naval vessel. Even after the rise of the aircraft carrier, the Navy depended heavily on battleships. These floating war wagons were effective fire support bases and effective show-of-force vessels. Many of the hazards the sailors on board these vessels faced came not from incoming enemy ordnance, but from the asbestos on the inside.

Asbestos Exposure on US Naval Battleships

Battleship veterans usually continue to suffer the effects of combat wounds for many years. Asbestos exposure victims suffer for many years as well. The big difference is that these exposure victims don’t know they’re sick. The latency period for asbestosis, mesothelioma, and other asbestos exposure illnesses is more than forty years.

Asbestos Was Used in the US Navy to Fireproof Battleships

Since battleships were so big and had so much firepower, shipbuilders used lots of asbestos in these vessels.

The engine room on a big battleship was larger than some of the escort and support ships that were part of the battle group. These boilers generated immense heat. Asbestos was the cheapest and easiest way to contain this heat. It just wasn’t the safest way. The same thing applies to the shells as big as trees and other ordinance on board. Builders needed the most effective fire suppression material available.

US Naval Veterans at Risk of Asbestos Exposure from Serving on Battleships

No matter how long ago exposure occurred, an attorney can help these victims obtain the financial compensation they need and deserve. Each legal option has some pros and cons.

Defective product claims against asbestos manufacturers are usually the highest risk and highest reward option. These claims are risky because they aren’t easy to prove in court. Additionally, multinational asbestos manufacturers have almost unlimited resources with which to fight these claims. The reward is that substantial compensation, including punitive damages, are available in such claims.

US Naval Veterans Disability Claims for Asbestos Exposure

At the other end of the scale, a Veterans Administration disability claim is usually the lowest risk and lowest reward alternative. Under federal law, service-related asbestos exposure illnesses are presumptively disabling. Financial compensation in these matters is usually limited to a monthly cash stipend. Sometimes these awards are retroactive and sometimes they aren’t.

An asbestos trust fund claim is a middle-of-the-road alternative. These claims are straightforward and these victim compensation funds have billions of dollars. However, trust fund administrators are notoriously stingy. An attorney evens the odds.