Was NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding) — asbestos documented in litigation?

NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding) — is documented in public asbestos litigation records as a manufacturer whose products contained asbestos during the mid-twentieth century. Workers in industrial facilities, power plants, refineries, shipyards, and commercial construction who handled or worked near these products may have experienced occupational exposure.

Which trades had the most exposure?

Pipe coverers and insulators, pipefitters, boilermakers, millwrights, and maintenance workers are among the trades most frequently documented in asbestos exposure claims. Workers who cut, fitted, or removed asbestos-containing products — and those working in close proximity during that work — typically had the highest fiber concentrations.

How long do workers have to file an asbestos claim?

Statutes of limitations for asbestos personal injury claims vary by state, typically ranging from one to five years from the date of an asbestos-related diagnosis. The clock generally starts at diagnosis, not exposure — mesothelioma can have a latency period of 20 to 50 years. An asbestos attorney can identify the deadlines that apply to your specific situation.

Can workers file claims related to NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding) — asbestos exposure?

Yes. Workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis after exposure to NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding) — products may pursue claims through civil litigation. An experienced asbestos attorney can assess available defendants, applicable trust funds from co-defendants, and the states where claims can be filed most effectively.

Can family members file secondary exposure claims?

Spouses, children, and household members who developed asbestos-related disease through contact with contaminated work clothing brought home by an exposed worker may be eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims. Wrongful-death claims can also be filed by surviving family members of workers who died from asbestos-related disease.

Marine

NASSCO Naval and Commercial Ship Construction at San Diego CA

⚖ Litigation Record1905-present (asbestos era through 1980s)Asbestos marine insulation, asbestos pipe covering, asbestos boiler refractory, asbestos electrical insulation, asbestos gaskets

Overview Product Facts Trades

Litigation Record: Information below reflects allegations in publicly filed asbestos litigation — plaintiff allegations, not findings of fact.

Premises Description

National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO — founded 1905; today the NASSCO division of General Dynamics Corporation; headquartered San Diego CA with additional ship-repair operations at Norfolk VA and Mayport FL) is through the 20th century and today the principal U.S. West Coast builder of Navy auxiliary ships (oilers, replenishment ships, expeditionary fast transports) and commercial ships (containerships, tankers).

NASSCO built through the asbestos era and post-asbestos era U.S. Navy oilers, fleet replenishment ships, hospital ships, expeditionary fast transports, and Coast Guard vessels — plus commercial containerships and product tankers for U.S. and international operators.

Through the asbestos era — particularly during the 1960s-1970s post-WWII Navy auxiliary construction programs — NASSCO employed thousands of shipyard workers. The yard used Marinite, Mundet asbestos-cork, Johns-Manville pipe covering, Owens-Corning Kaylo, Pittsburgh Corning Unibestos, and other principal manufacturers’ asbestos products throughout ship construction.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that NASSCO — as premises owner of the San Diego CA shipyard — exposed its shipyard workforce and contractor trades to extensive asbestos.

NASSCO / General Dynamics has been named as a Premises Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

Shipyard machinists, marine machinists, and shipfitters at NASSCO San Diego
Ship insulators (HFIAW Local members) installing marine asbestos insulation
Pipefitters running asbestos-clad shipboard piping
Boilermakers (IBB Local members) building ship boilers
Electricians running asbestos-insulated shipboard electrical
Welders, riggers, and laborers working alongside shipboard asbestos
Navy ratings aboard ships built or overhauled at NASSCO

If You Worked at NASSCO San Diego

If you worked at NASSCO San Diego (under any ownership: independent, General Dynamics) during the asbestos era — as a NASSCO employee or as a Navy rating aboard a ship at the yard — and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or another asbestos-related illness, you may have legal rights.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Product Facts

Trade NameNASSCO Naval and Commercial Ship Construction at San Diego CA

Years Produced1905-present (asbestos era through 1980s)

Asbestos ContentAsbestos marine insulation, asbestos pipe covering, asbestos boiler refractory, asbestos electrical insulation, asbestos gaskets

CategoryMarine Industrial-Furnaces Gaskets

Trust FundNo active trust

Exposed Trades & Occupations

Shipyard machinistsMarine machinistsInsulatorsPipefittersBoilermakersElectricians

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Were You Exposed to an Asbestos-Containing Product?

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease and were exposed to asbestos-containing products, you and your family may be entitled to significant compensation through asbestos trust funds and civil litigation. An attorney experienced in product liability and asbestos claims can evaluate your case — at no cost to you.

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Statutes of limitations may limit the time you have to act
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Asbestos Product Liability & Mesothelioma Claims

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