Asbestos on Ships – Mesothelioma & Lung Cancer Jones Act Lawsuit

Many older and larger ships including ocean going vessels, tankers, cargo ships and navy ships had asbestos installed in the engine rooms and sadly many of them still do. Most of the asbestos on a ship was contained in the engine rooms where the asbestos was used to insulate pipes, steam pipes, exhaust pipes, walls of engine rooms and other places to shield heat buildup. Maintenance and maritime workers in engine rooms working with, replacing, moving or repairing asbestos insulation or asbestos covered pipes probably got exposed to the asbestos fibers or asbestos dust when the fragments off as the insulation coverings were disturbed. In engine rooms where ventilation is poor, these toxic fibers and dusts can easily get inhaled and trapped in one’s lungs. Additionally most maritime workers were not properly warned of the dangerous effects of asbestos, nor were they supplied or proper filtered with masks or independent air supply. The immediate health effects of asbestos exposure are usually not noticed until 25-40 years later. It is then the asbestos starts its deadly assault on the body in the form of asbestos lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Lawsuit Under the Jones Act

Early asbestos exposure symptoms may slow down the injured worker with shortness of breath, but gradually the health effects get rapidly worse with constant coughing, chest pain, decreased energy and even finger clubbing. Treatment for mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer is available, but the long term prognosis is still for most is very grim. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are the most accepted mesothelioma treatment plans, but the costs of such can be very steep. For maritime workers exposed to asbestos on a ship and later diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer, we can help. The fact that the maritime worker was endangered and contracted a toxic exposure on a vessel, triggers legal rights under the Jones act. The injured maritime worker under the Jones Act has in effect medical insurance benefits known as “cure”, daily monetary payments called “maintenance” and other legal remedies for the injured worker. Under the Jones Act, we just need to find the maritime employer with some degree of fault in order to prevail. Additionally, the injured worker may also have claims against the ship owner, the asbestos installer or fabricator and the many asbestos manufacturers and suppliers to the maritime trade.

Maritime Lawsuit for Asbestos Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma

If you or a loved one have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos lung cancer, please call and talk to a maritime lawyer about your rights in bringing a Jones Act lawsuit or claim. Maritime lawyer David Willis is a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer with over 33 years of legal experience. We are ready to assist you. No Fees or Expenses EVER Charged to You, unless we are Successful for You. Call us Toll Free at 1-800-883-9858 for more information.