Boston Navy Yard Asbestos Exposure & Compensation

Boston Navy Yard, originally known as Charlestown Navy Yard, is located in Charlestown, a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, at the junction of the Mystic and Charles Rivers. The historic shipyard operated for 174 years as a shipyard and United States naval base. Over time, Boston Navy Yard expanded to include numerous dry docks, shops, laboratories, industrial facilities, and housing for military personnel, including Marines. Asbestos-containing materials were commonly used in shipyard buildings and aboard Navy vessels.

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As a result, shipyard workers, military personnel, and their families may have faced an elevated risk of developing asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.

The Massachusetts mesothelioma lawyers at Early, Lucarelli, Sweeney & Meisenkothen (ELSM) have extensive experience representing mesothelioma victims exposed to asbestos while working at Boston Navy Yard.

Boston Navy Yard at a Glance

• Other names for Boston Navy Yard include Boston Naval Yard, Boston Naval Base, and Boston Naval Shipyard.
• Between 1941 and 1945, at the height of wartime production, 50,000 shipyard workers, including approximately 8,500 women, built 141 new ships and overhauled 3,260 others. During this period, asbestos was widely used throughout shipyards, in ship construction and in maintenance.
• After World War II, the shipyard performed multiple Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) overhauls until its closure in May 1974. Asbestos was frequently used in ship insulation, piping, and equipment, putting workers at risk of asbestos-related diseases.
• At least 12 bankruptcy trust funds, established to help asbestos victims, identify Boston Navy Yard as a known jobsite for asbestos exposure.

Asbestos Exposure at Boston Navy Yard

Throughout the 1970s, asbestos was used for insulation and fire-resistance in most areas of ships, especially around high-heat systems in the engine and boiler rooms.

Handling and manipulating asbestos-containing materials produced substantial amounts of dust and exposed sailors, shipyard workers, and bystanders in other parts of the ships, such as corridors, bunk rooms, as well as throughout shipyard facilities, including shops and barracks. This exposure created a significant risk of asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Boston Navy Yard During World War II

During World War II, Boston Naval Yard primarily built new destroyers to meet the nation’s wartime needs. Workers at the yard also constructed submarines, destroyer escorts (DEs), landing ship, tanks (LSTs), and barracks ships.

Boston Navy Yard Post World War II

By the 1960s, new ship construction largely slowed, and shipyard workers focused on modernizing existing vessels to extend their service life. These rehabilitation and modernization projects lasted several months or even years and often involved:

• Complete removal and replacement of electrical systems
• Overhaul of heating and propulsion systems
• Updates to weapons and onboard equipment

FRAM overhauls at Boston Navy Yard included:

• USS Hugh Purvis: 1960
• USS Vogelgesang DD-862: March 1962
• USS Willas Lee: 1961
• USS Gyatt: 1956

During this labor-intensive work, shipyard employees and Navy personnel remained at risk of asbestos exposure.

High-Risk Occupations at Boston Navy Yard

Employees and civilians in Boston Naval Shipyard suffered exposure to asbestos during construction, overhaul, and conversion of Navy vessels. Additionally, asbestos exposure occurred while working in the shipyard shops, including the central tool and services, structural shop, sheet metal shop, machine shop, boiler shop, electric and electronics shop, pipe and copper shop, forge and foundry shop, and paint shop.

Common high-risk occupations exposed to asbestos in shipyards include:

Secondary Asbestos Exposure

Family members of these workers may have suffered exposure to asbestos fibers brought home on workers’ clothing. Family members who have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, due to secondhand asbestos exposure may also qualify for financial compensation.

Well, naturally, when you handle any kind of material, its going to be dusty. You can’t get away from it. When it was too hot, you had blowers and exhaust. They put those on, it made it just as bad, if not worse, because it blew all the stuff around. I would wear my work clothes home, and my wife would hate it because I was covered, whatever you had on, covered with white stuff. Pipefitter
Boston Navy Yard, 1943-1969

Asbestos Products Used at Boston Navy Yard

Between the 1930’s and 1980’s, asbestos-containing materials were used in the construction and repair of shipyard buildings and infrastructure, as well as in the construction, maintenance, and overhaul of Navy destroyers and other vessels.

Common asbestos products found aboard ships and, in the shipyard, include:

Compensation for Boston Navy Yard Workers With Mesothelioma

The presence and use of asbestos at Boston Naval Shipyard posed a significant hazard to shipyard workers, military personnel, and civilians.

ELSM Law has represented over 80 clients who developed mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases following exposure, in part, at the Boston Navy Yard. If you believe your exposure occurred at this shipyard, you may be entitled to compensation through:

• Asbestos Lawsuits: Many companies that supplied asbestos-containing products to Boston Navy Yard remain solvent, and an ELSM Law attorney can pursue lawsuits against each company whose products can be proven to have caused exposure.
• Asbestos Trust Funds: Additional financial compensation may be available from bankrupt companies that supplied asbestos products to Boston Navy Yard. Claims may be filed with each company’s asbestos trust fund if exposure can be established.
• VA Benefits: Veterans exposed to asbestos while serving at or working in Boston Navy Yard may be eligible for VA disability compensation and related benefits.

Compensation may help cover medical expenses, replace lost wages, and provide financial security for your loved ones.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Boston Naval Shipyard does not have an asbestos trust fund, but companies that sold asbestos products used at the shipyard and have since gone bankrupt, have trust funds established for mesothelioma and lung cancer victims. An experienced mesothelioma lawyer will have a database of products and qualifying occupations at Boston Naval Shipyard that will be eligible for bankruptcy claim submission.

The following list of bankrupt companies with established asbestos trusts include Boston Navy Yard/Charlestown Naval Shipyard as an approved job site.

Bankrupt Asbestos Company	Asbestos Exposure Start Date	Asbestos Exposure End Date
Armstrong World Industries	1/1/1966	12/31/1982
Babcock & Wilcox	5/1/1900	12/31/1982
Combustion Engineering		12/31/1982
Eagle-Picher Industries
Fibreboard		12/31/1982
Flexitallic	1/1/1941
GAF Corporation	7/16/1959	6/3/1960
Keene Corporation	1/1/1941	12/31/1981
Owens Corning		12/31/1982
Owens-Illinois	3/23/1954	12/31/1958
Pittsburgh Corning	7/1/1962
United States Gypsum	1/1/1942	12/31/1982

Asbestos Lawsuits

At ELSM Law, our mesothelioma attorneys strive to minimize the time their clients must devote to a case, allowing them to focus on treatment and maintain their quality of life.

The types of mesothelioma lawsuits available to our clients depend on factors such as the specific asbestos exposure and the state laws where the lawsuit is filed.

• Personal Injury Lawsuits: Patients can file claims against companies responsible for their asbestos exposure. Successful cases may result in substantial compensation, especially if the case goes to trial.
• Wrongful Death Lawsuits: If a patient passes away, family members may file a wrongful death claim to recover losses caused by their loved one’s death, providing financial relief during a difficult time.

In most instances, the only required involvement is a deposition describing work at Boston Navy Yard and any other locations where asbestos exposure occurred.

Veteran Benefits

Veterans who were exposed to asbestos during military service at Boston Navy Yard may qualify for VA Benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition to your lawsuit, ELSM has VA-accredited attorneys who can assist you through the application process.

Common Questions About Asbestos Exposure at Boston Navy Yard

Which jobs at Boston Naval Yard were most at risk of asbestos exposure?

Any worker, veteran, or civilian could have suffered asbestos exposure in Boston Navy Yard between the 1930’s and 1980’s. Workers with the most risk include insulators, pipefitters, steamfitters, machinists, and boiler workers.

Can family members of Boston Navy Yard workers and veterans file claims for mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancers?

Yes. Spouses, children, and legal heirs of individuals who died from asbestos-related diseases linked to Boston Navy Yard can file claims against companies that manufactured or distributed asbestos products. A qualified asbestos attorney can help identify which companies may be liable.

How long do mesothelioma cases involving Boston Navy Yard take?

Clients exposed to asbestos at Boston Navy Yard may receive some compensation within about 60 days of ELSM Law beginning work on their case. Fully pursuing litigation against defendants can take one to two years, and clients may continue to file claims with asbestos bankruptcy trusts for several additional years.