Aerojet was owned by GenCorp, a Sacramento, California company, and later merged with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. The company has been named in many occupational asbestos exposure cases. Many of the toxic exposure cases are related to work at the Canoga Park and Santa Susana work sites. Defense and aviation asbestos cases are high profile, and challenging defendants, though they still provide compensation for victims nationwide.
Although the majority of Rocketdyne asbestos lawsuits are claims related to toxic exposure of workers manufacturing rocketry and other heavy industrial equipment, other employees in California plants may have been exposed.
Many of the past and current plaintiffs involved in aerospace asbestos litigation have developed asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Military veterans and former employees at Aerojet plants have been exposed.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated personal injury and toxic tort lawyer representing plaintiffs nationwide in mesothelioma and Boeing Asbestos injury claims.
Rocketdyne Asbestos Cancer
Rocketdyne produced rockets and high-powered propulsion systems for military aircraft and NASA space shuttles.
Because of its strength and heat-resistant properties, asbestos was often used to build aircraft components. As a result, engineers, mechanics, welders, and maintenance crew and other workers were exposed to toxins built into engines, turbines, electrical components, bearings, and gaskets.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, thousands of Americans who served in the Air Force and Navy faced asbestos exposure sometime during their military career. Veterans account for about 30 percent of all new mesothelioma cases in the United States.
Veterans are at a risk of developing mesothelioma, asbestosis, and deadly cancers because of exposure to asbestos in numerous machines, installations, barracks, ships and heavy equipment. Experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) warn that even a small amount of asbestos exposure can lead to mesothelioma and asbestosis.
Aerospace Asbestos Exposure Risks
Rocketdyne workers at Canoga Park and Santa Susana plants may have been exposed, including the following:
- Welders
- Appliance assemblers
- Electricians
- Mechanics
- Engine assemblers
- Maintenance Crews
- Insulators
Symptoms of Mesothelioma & Asbestos Illness
Former Rocketdyne workers who may have been exposed to asbestos should request health screening tests by a medical professional, and contact an experienced attorney.
Mesothelioma is often overlooked because many of the symptoms are similar to other respiratory illnesses, and the latency period is quite varied. Warning signs of a serious condition may include:
- Trouble swallowing
- Trouble breathing
- Persistent cough—bloody mucus
- Lumps of tissue on abdomen
- Unexplained weight loss
- Excessive sweating
- Fatigue
Rocketdyne Asbestos Lawsuits
Personal injury lawsuits have been filed by former employees in California and throughout the country. Most claims involve workers who directly handled, installed, maintained and insulated rockets and equipment.
Plaintiffs are likely to be veterans, engineers, mechanics and assemblers on the plant floors who worked with engines and asbestos-containing seals and gaskets.
Management failed in many cases to warn workers of the potential dangers and risks, and did little to protect workers, and as a result, former workers who fall ill rightly deserve compensation for pain and suffering, medical costs and lost wages.
