Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Exposure

Q: Are shipyard workers exposed to asbestos?

Yes, it’s believed that tens of thousands of Fore River Shipyard workers were exposed to asbestos between the 1930s and early 1980s. The U.S. Navy required the use of asbestos-containing products on ships, but the manufacturers of these materials hid the health risks to make money. As a result, Fore River shipyard workers and Navy personnel didn’t know that asbestos exposure could cause mesothelioma or other serious asbestos-related diseases 10-50 years later.

What to Know About Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Exposure

Founded in 1883, the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, played a major role in shipbuilding for the U.S. Navy for over 100 years. Hundreds of vessels were built for use in both World Wars and beyond.

From the 1930s to the early 1980s, anyone working at Fore River Shipyard risked exposure to a toxic substance called asbestos. Mandates required the use of asbestos on ships to keep them durable. Navy service members and shipyard workers exposed could develop mesothelioma decades later.

At its peak during World War II, over 32,000 people worked at Fore River Shipyard and all of them could have been put in danger of mesothelioma due to asbestos on Navy ships.

Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Quick Facts

Ships serviced: Battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and more
Health risks: Mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and other asbestos diseases
Time period of asbestos use: 1930s to 1986
Who is at risk: Navy veterans, civilians, shipyard workers, and family members

If you or a loved one suffered Fore River Shipyard asbestos exposure long ago and now have mesothelioma, we’re here to help. You can pursue military benefits, treatments, and financial compensation by working with the Mesothelioma Veterans Center.

Get a Free Veterans Packet now to learn more about resources available after a mesothelioma diagnosis.

How Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Exposure Occurred

If you worked at Fore River Shipyard, you risked asbestos exposure on an everyday basis. The Navy required that all of its ships use asbestos products to keep vessels durable and fireproof. Service members like you didn’t know asbestos was harmful because manufacturers hid the health risks.

Fore River Shipyard personnel were exposed to asbestos from:

Boilers
Electrical materials
Engines
Gaskets
Insulation
Steam pipes
Valves

As a result of exposure to asbestos-containing materials at Fore River, many Navy veterans and former shipyard workers have gone on to develop mesothelioma and other life-threatening illnesses through no fault of their own.

List of Ships Built or Repaired at Fore River Shipyard

More than 600 Navy ships were built at Fore River Shipyard from the time of its founding in 1883 to its closure in 1989. This included 93 vessels constructed during World War II alone.

Ships built or repaired at Fore River Shipyard include:

Aircraft carriers: Many notable carriers were built at Fore River Shipyard, including the USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Wasp (CV-18), and USS Bunker Hill (CV-17).
Battleships: The USS Massachusetts (BB-59) and USS North Dakota (BB-29) were just a few vessels built at Fore River Shipyard.
Cruisers: Both heavy and light cruisers were constructed at Fore River Shipyard, such as the USS Salem (CA-139), USS Vincennes (CA-44), USS San Diego (CL-53), and USS San Juan (CL-54).
Destroyers: The USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (DD-850), USS Willis A. Lee (DL-4), and USS Mayo (DD-422) were among dozens of destroyers built over Fore River Shipyard’s history.
Other vessels: Many more types of ships were constructed at Fore River, ranging from submarines like the USS Whale (SSN-638) to oilers, including the USS Neosho (AO-143).

You could have been exposed every day while working at Fore River Shipyard since every ship relied on asbestos-containing products. This puts you and your loved ones at a high risk of mesothelioma today.

Call (877) 450-8973 to pursue benefits, treatments, and compensation if you developed mesothelioma and once worked at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

Jobs at Risk of Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Exposure

Tens of thousands of people likely suffered asbestos exposure at Fore River Shipyard while working to build and renovate vessels for the U.S. Navy. Many shipyard jobs required you to work directly with asbestos every single day, breathing in dust contaminated with asbestos fibers.

Fore River Shipyard roles that may have exposed you to asbestos included:

Asbestos insulation workers or insulators
Boilermakers
Dry dock crews
Electricians
Machinists
Maintenance and ship repair workers
Pipefitters
Plumbers
Shipfitters
Welders

You also could have been put at risk if a family member worked at Fore River through secondary asbestos exposure. This occurred when ‌Navy yard workers came home covered in asbestos dust, exposing loved ones like you.

By the time Fore River Shipyard closed in 1986, asbestos was seen as a public health emergency and efforts were ongoing to renovate Naval vessels that had it aboard. However, there was no way to lower the risk of mesothelioma among the Fore River Shipyard workers exposed before the dangers were publicly known.

Benefits and Compensation for Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Victims

If you or a veteran you love is battling mesothelioma and worked in shipbuilding long ago, you may be eligible for compensation to cover medical bills and other expenses. Mesothelioma compensation options include VA benefits, asbestos lawsuits, and trust fund claims.

VA Benefits for Mesothelioma

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides many benefits to veterans with mesothelioma like monthly disability compensation and health care. Veterans usually receive a 100% disability rating and get the highest financial payouts.

Mesothelioma VA benefits include:

Disability compensation worth $4,158.17 monthly for 2026
Free or low-cost VA mesothelioma treatments
More resources, like survivor benefits and pensions

We can help you file for or increase your VA benefits after a mesothelioma diagnosis linked to Fore River Shipyard asbestos exposure. Get started right now.

Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Lawsuits

You could qualify to file a mesothelioma lawsuit and access compensation from manufacturers of asbestos-containing products. Asbestos lawsuits typically pay out $1 million or more and you won’t sue the military or government.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center has partnered with Simmons Hanly Conroy, a national asbestos law firm that can help mesothelioma patients file lawsuits from anywhere in the country.

Notable Massachusetts mesothelioma legal payouts include:

$3.67 million for a U.S. Navy veteran and mechanic
$2.74 million for a U.S. Navy veteran
$2.33 million to a U.S. Navy veteran and union worker
$3 million to a U.S. Navy veteran and fireman

Get a free case review now to find out if you’re eligible to file a mesothelioma lawsuit with help from our legal partners. They’ll do all the legal work for you, making things as easy and hassle-free as possible.

Asbestos Trust Funds

Besides mesothelioma lawsuits and VA benefits, you can pursue compensation through asbestos trust fund claims. Over $30 billion is available in asbestos trust funds for mesothelioma patients today.

Our partner mesothelioma lawyers can help you file claims with any trusts that you’re eligible for. You will likely start to get money from trust fund claims within 90 days of filing, allowing you to quickly get financial restitution for mesothelioma.

Help for Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Exposure

Hundreds of ships built at Fore River Shipyard used asbestos, putting you and tens of thousands of others at risk of mesothelioma today. If you’ve been diagnosed, it can feel overwhelming — but we’re ready to assist you.

We’ve helped thousands of proud U.S. veterans and shipyard workers navigate life with mesothelioma and get the resources they needed.

Work with the Mesothelioma Veterans Center to explore:

Essential VA benefits for mesothelioma
Top mesothelioma doctors and treatments
Compensation and other forms of support

Get a Free Veterans Packet or call (877) 450-8973 now to connect with our team and pursue the benefits that you need after Fore River Shipyard asbestos.

Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Risks FAQs

Are shipyard workers exposed to asbestos?

Yes, it’s believed that tens of thousands of Fore River Shipyard workers were exposed to asbestos between the 1930s and early 1980s. The U.S. Navy required the use of asbestos-containing products on ships, but the manufacturers of these materials hid the health risks to make money.

As a result, Fore River shipyard workers and Navy personnel didn’t know that asbestos exposure could cause mesothelioma or other serious asbestos-related diseases 10-50 years later.

What happened to the Fore River Shipyard?

Fore River Shipyard was shuttered in 1986 by its parent company General Dynamics. The closure came at a time when major renovation efforts were ongoing to remove asbestos from Navy ships due to the health risks.

Today, the Fore River Shipyard site is used for the United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum.

However, many former employees are grappling with mesothelioma and other diseases caused by exposure to asbestos at Fore River Shipyard decades ago. These illnesses can be devastating, but we’re here to help in any way we can.

Get a Free Veterans Packet to explore VA benefits, treatments, and financial compensation that may be available if you’re facing mesothelioma after Fore River Shipyard asbestos exposure.

What is Fore River Shipyard known for?

Fore River is known for being one of the preeminent shipyards of the 20th century, helping to build hundreds of Navy vessels up through the early 1980s.

However, it’s also known that tens of thousands of Fore River Shipyard workers are now in danger of mesothelioma, since many of the ships built there contained a toxic material called asbestos.

What was built at Fore River Shipyard?

Over 600 ships were built at Fore River Shipyard, including notable vessels like the USS Lexington (CV-2), USS Massachusetts (BB-59), and USS Salem (CA-139). Nearly 100 ships were built during World War II alone.

The majority of these ships used asbestos-containing materials like insulation, gaskets, and paneling to keep them durable and fireproof. It wasn’t known at the time, but asbestos exposure can cause cancers like mesothelioma decades later.

Call (877) 450-8973 now for help if you suffered Fore River Shipyard asbestos exposure and now have mesothelioma. We’ll work to connect you with key resources like medical care and financial compensation.