The Navy & Mesothelioma
The U.S. Navy, as well as the commercial maritime industry, made extensive use of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials. Every member of a ship's construction or maintenance team was in danger of asbestos exposure, particularly those in engine and boiler rooms who worked around pumps, valves, boilers, turbines and other equipment. Even visiting an engine room was enough to cause exposure. The large number of Navy veterans with mesothelioma is not only a tragedy that deserves recognition, but a wrong that needs to be made right. It is nearly impossible to understand that when so many service persons and shipyard workers gave their lives to the War and to the protection of the homeland, they were rewarded with the development of a disease caused only by the materials they worked with daily—materials that manufactures knew the dangers of, but kept hidden.
The mobilization of the U.S. work force during World War II is the greatest example of the dedication and patriotism of Americans. It is a storied period: fresh out of the worst depression in U.S. history, men and women came together, regardless of religion or creed or skin color, to defend the nation and to preserve freedom. We have dubbed this generation of men and women the “Greatest Generation” in acknowledgement of their service and their sacrifice. As industrial workers, shipbuilders and repairers and other maritime professionals, soldiers, and future veterans dedicated themselves to defend the country and to provide for its security, they were working with asbestos, an enemy as deadly as the soldiers we were all fighting against. The longer and the harder they worked, the more they were exposed to asbestos and the potential development of asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer.
At Belluck & Fox, we believe that no one should have been exposed to asbestos - and that those who were exposed deserve advocates every bit as dedicated as themselves. If you are a Navy veteran or a shipyard worker, please contact us today. We are experience attorneys who are familiar with your needs and the particular circumstances involved with Navy exposure.