Ingalls Shipbuilding and Asbestos Exposure

What to Know About Ingalls Shipyard and Asbestos Risks

Founded in 1938, Ingalls Shipbuilding is one of the biggest employers in Mississippi, with over 11,000 workers. However, those who worked for Ingalls Shipbuilding before the early 1980s are in danger of cancers like mesothelioma.

Ingalls Shipbuilding serviced hundreds of vessels containing asbestos, a toxic substance. The risks were hidden by private manufacturers, but it’s now known that exposure leads to mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses.

Mesothelioma can develop 10-50 years after asbestos exposure, so Ingalls shipyard workers who worked with or around the substance decades ago are in danger today.

“My dad worked here for 35 years, and he died from asbestos after being exposed to it.”
– Son of former Ingalls shipyard worker

Key Facts About Ingalls Shipbuilding and Mesothelioma

Ships serviced: Destroyers, submarines, cruisers, amphibious warships, and more
Health risks of asbestos use: Serious illnesses like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis
Compensation options: Personal injury lawsuits, wrongful death lawsuits, asbestos trust fund claims, and military benefits claims

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can help if you or someone you love worked at this shipyard and later developed mesothelioma.

Get a Free Veterans Packet to explore military benefits, medical treatments, and financial compensation that may be available to you.

How Did Ingalls Shipbuilding Use Asbestos?

Asbestos products were widely used throughout ships and in the shipbuilding business.

Asbestos could be found in:

Boilers
Block insulation
Cement
Electrical lines
Engines
Gears
Insulation
Pipe coverings
Turbines
Tape

Asbestos materials were fireproof and durable, making them useful aboard military and civilian ships. Government mandates required that all U.S. Navy ships use asbestos before the health risks were publicly known.

Did you know?

Asbestos-containing materials were also used in the construction of the Ingalls shipyard itself, with asbestos cement used in walls, roofs, and flooring.

These benefits didn’t outweigh the fact that asbestos causes mesothelioma. Sadly, Ingalls shipyard workers didn’t know the risks as the manufacturers hid the truth for decades to make huge profits.

List of Ships Built or Repaired at Ingalls Shipyard

Business at Ingalls Shipbuilding boomed after World War II, and it became a key supplier of U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels.

Since then, Ingalls Shipbuilding has constructed or repaired hundreds of vessels for both the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, as well as for private and commercial companies.

Ships built or repaired by Ingalls Shipbuilding include:

Amphibious warships: The USS Saipan (LHA-2), USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), USS Nassau (LHA-4), and USS Peleliu (LHA-5) were among the many amphibious warships constructed at the Ingalls shipyard.
Destroyers: Vessels like the USS John Hancock (DD-981), USS Kidd (DDG-993), USS Morton (DD-948), and USS Stump (DD-978) all had asbestos aboard.
Guided missile cruisers: The USS Ticonderoga (CG-47), USS Yorktown (CG-48), USS Vincennes (CG-49), and USS Valley Forge (CG-50) were just a few of many cruisers built by Ingalls Shipbuilding that contained asbestos.
Submarines: USS Blueback (SS-581), USS Barb (SSN-596), and USS Aspro (SSN-648) all used asbestos-containing materials and were constructed at the Ingalls shipyard.

Before the early 1980s, Ingalls shipyard workers could have risked asbestos exposure and mesothelioma from working on these vessels. You may have been exposed to asbestos even if a vessel you worked on isn’t listed above.

Contact us now for help determining which ships may have exposed you to asbestos and if you can pursue compensation and benefits.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Jobs With a High Risk of Asbestos Exposure

While all Ingalls shipyard jobs were at risk for asbestos exposure, some roles exposed workers on an everyday basis.

Jobs with the highest risk of asbestos exposure in shipyards include:

Boiler room workers
Carpenters
Caulkers
Electricians
Engine room workers
Insulators
Pipefitters
Repairmen
Welders

According to court documents from an Ingalls mesothelioma lawsuit, a former engine room worker recalled seeing asbestos dust flying into the air while working alongside insulators. He also remembered leaving Ingalls shipyard “covered like a snowman” in this asbestos-contaminated dust.

Family members also risked mesothelioma due to secondhand exposure, as Ingalls Shipbuilding employees could bring asbestos fibers home on their clothing and skin.

Compensation for Ingalls Shipyard Mesothelioma Victims

Former Ingalls shipyard workers suffering from mesothelioma may qualify for compensation and benefits to help cover medical expenses and other bills. Explore financial compensation options that could be available to you below.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Mesothelioma Lawsuits

Ingalls Shipbuilding and its parent company, Huntington Ingalls, continue to face many asbestos lawsuits in the present day.

The average mesothelioma lawsuit awards $1 million or more, allowing victims to afford the medical care they deserve. Asbestos claims are typically filed against manufacturers that made you sick — not your former employers or the U.S. military.

Family members can also pursue wrongful death lawsuits if a loved one passes away, and these also award around $1 million on average.

Get a free case review now to learn if you may qualify to file an Ingalls shipyard mesothelioma lawsuit.

VA Benefits

Veterans with mesothelioma who served on vessels serviced by Ingalls Shipbuilding may qualify for U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits.

The VA grants veterans with mesothelioma a 100% disability rating, giving them maximum benefits.

Mesothelioma VA benefits include:

Disability compensation worth $4,158.17 a month
Free or low-cost treatment from top hospitals
Resources for surviving loved ones

We can help you file for or increase your mesothelioma VA benefits if eligible. You can still file for VA benefits even if you file a lawsuit.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Asbestos Trust Funds

Mesothelioma patients can also secure compensation from trust funds, which were set up by bankrupt asbestos companies to avoid lawsuits.

Asbestos trust funds contain over $30 billion today. You or a loved one may qualify for compensation from multiple trusts, depending on which asbestos-containing products you were exposed to.

Contact us now for help pursuing Ingalls Shipbuilding asbestos compensation by working with our partner mesothelioma law firm.

Get Help for Ingalls Shipyard Asbestos Exposure

Ingalls Shipbuilding employees were put at risk of mesothelioma due to the greed of manufacturers, who hid the risks of asbestos. As a result, many former shipyard workers are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.

The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can help eligible Ingalls shipyard workers, including those who served in the U.S. military, pursue the justice and benefits they deserve.

Work with us to:

File for or maximize your asbestos VA benefits
Get top treatments from expert cancer centers
Pursue compensation often worth $1 million+

Call (877) 450-8973 or get a Free Veterans Packet now to see how we can assist you or a family member after a mesothelioma diagnosis.

Ingalls Shipbuilding and Mesothelioma FAQs

What ships does Ingalls build?

Ingalls Shipbuilding has constructed hundreds of civilian and U.S. Navy vessels, including the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3), USS Kidd (DDG-993), USS Ticonderoga (CG-47), and USS Barb (SSN-596).

Prior to the early 1980s, almost every ship built at Ingalls used asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos was considered a safe way to keep ships fireproof and well-insulated, but shipyard workers didn’t know it was dangerous.

Many former Ingalls shipyard workers are now at risk of mesothelioma since this cancer can develop 10-50 years after asbestos exposure.

Is Huntington Ingalls the same as Newport News Shipbuilding?

Huntington Ingalls is the parent company of both Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi and Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia.

Both of these shipyards relied on asbestos-containing materials for decades, so many former workers have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Contact us now to learn if you were exposed at Ingalls Shipbuilding or Newport News Shipbuilding and now have mesothelioma. Our partner mesothelioma lawyers can help you pursue compensation for this cancer, if eligible.

Is asbestos still used in shipbuilding?

Asbestos is no longer used to make new ships due to the health risks. However, older ships built at the Ingalls shipyard before the risks were fully known may have some asbestos-containing materials aboard today.

In these cases, these ships must be inspected to ensure that the asbestos is sturdy and doesn’t pose a risk of releasing fibers.