Ingalls Shipbuilding Asbestos Exposure | Pascagoula, Mississippi

Asbestos Cancer Attorneys

Representing plaintiffs in Litton Industries and Ingalls Shipyard asbestos exposure, Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer Claims

Since 1938, Ingalls Shipbuilding workers have had an elevated risk of occupational toxic exposure that may have later led to a cancer diagnosis. It is likely that many shipyard workers had close contact to dangerous levels of asbestos and other known toxic materials, increasing their chances of developing lung disease and mesothelioma cancer.

Ingalls Shipbuilding was tasked with meeting a great need for Navy vessels during World War II. Thousands of men and women came to work on the docks before and after the war. When the war ended, the shipyard continued the construction of naval ships as well as nuclear-powered submarines.

A comprehensive study published by the Ulster Medical Society concluded that shipyard workers had an asbestosis mortality rate much greater than other industrial occupations, primarily due to the poor ventilation and amount of toxins on the work sites. Many thousands of Ingalls shipyard workers—as well as others in the region—have been diagnosed with related illnesses as a result of prolonged asbestos exposure.

In 2021, the International Journal of Environmental Health Research published a review of the asbestos cancer risk among seamen. Shipyard workers were at high cancer risk, and those living on the ships were even more so.

Former Ingalls Shipbuilding Workers have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer, asbestosis, pulmonary fibrosis and other asbestos-related conditions.

Joe Lyon is an asbestos cancer lawyer representing former shipyard workers and veterans nationwide in mesothelioma and lung cancer claims.

Was I Exposed to Asbestos at Ingalls?

Civilian ships and naval vessels were often filled with toxic materials. Asbestos was one of those hazardous materials, and was used liberally due to corrosion-resistant durable properties.

Asbestos was used in sleeping quarters, boilers, engine rooms, and even in the paint coating the vessels. Toxic dust would build up in ship holds and exposure was essentially inescapable, no matter how workers tried to protect themselves.

The Navy used hundreds of asbestos-containing products for shipbuilding and naval outfitting. Only many years later did health and medical professionals recognize the potential toxicity of the materials.

Were All Ingalls Workers at High Cancer Risk?

It was not easy to work in the shipbuilding industry and not face a risk of serious injury or illness. Toxic materials were everywhere and workers really had no idea where and when they might be facing exposure.

Asbestos was used in boiler rooms, engine rooms and was used to insulate large areas of ships. Navy Veterans have been diagnosed with an inordinate number of toxic exposure related occupational lung diseases. Navy vets are eligible for disability compensation, handled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and can also file personal injury claims to benefit from the many asbestos trust funds that have been established to compensate victims.

Not only veterans, but any former shipyard worker can file a lawsuit against negligent companies, including the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products.

A 2017 report published in Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health concluded that shipyard workers exposed to a moderate amount of asbestos are almost four times more likely to die of mesothelioma cancer. Many workers at Ingalls would fall into this moderate to heavy exposure category.

How Are Shipbuilding Workers Exposure to Asbestos?

Some Ingalls Shipyard workers, some of whom worked under Northrop Grumman Corporation or Litton Industries, performed tasks on any number and variety of vessels. Researchers suggest the worst exposure occurred in engine rooms, mess halls and on painted decks. Further exposure occurred in shipways and dry docks. The following positions  put shipyard workers in direct contact with asbestos:

• Shipfitters
• Machinists
• Pipefitters & Plumbers
• Electricians
• Boilermakers
• Painters