US Navy Ships & Asbestos Exposure — Veterans' Records
Documented asbestos exposure records for US Navy ships, shipyards, and bases. Background information on VA disability claims and civil lawsuits for Navy veterans and shipyard workers.
651 U.S. Navy Ship Equipment Manifests
Verified BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships) machinery and manufacturer attribution for 651 U.S. Navy vessels — aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and auxiliaries. Every entry sourced from public-record Navy documentation, with manufacturer attribution cross-linked to documented asbestos-product histories.
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View all ships ›Navy Ship Classes — Asbestos Exposure Records
Navy Veterans Who Worked Civilian Trades After Service
Most Navy veterans diagnosed with mesothelioma today were exposed during shipboard service in the 1950s–1980s. But many continued working with asbestos in civilian trades after discharge — as pipefitters, boilermakers, insulators, electricians, millwrights — at power plants, steel mills, refineries, and manufacturing facilities. That post-service civilian work may add documentable exposure to your claim.
Browse our state-by-state civilian jobsite archive to identify facilities where you worked after the Navy:
Civilian-trade exposure does not replace VA benefits eligibility for service-connected exposure — it can supplement it. Both VA claims and civil litigation against product manufacturers can be pursued simultaneously.
Connect With a Navy Asbestos & Mesothelioma Attorney
Navy veterans and civilian shipyard workers diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or asbestos-related lung cancer may have grounds for a civil claim against the asbestos product manufacturers whose materials were installed aboard. O'Brien Law Firm represents veterans and their families in the civil track at no upfront cost — separate from any VA disability benefits you may be eligible for.
If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.
Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.
- Free case evaluation — no obligation to hire
- No attorney fee unless we make a financial recovery
- Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
- Civil claims against asbestos manufacturers & bankruptcy trust funds
- Maritime statute of limitations: 3 years from diagnosis (46 U.S.C. § 30106)
- Runs in parallel with VA benefits — civil recovery does not reduce VA disability compensation
VA disability benefits are a separate government process. To file a VA disability claim for asbestos exposure, visit VA.gov › Hazardous Materials Exposure, call 1‑800‑827‑1000, or contact a Veterans Service Organization (DAV, VFW, American Legion) for free claim assistance.