Asbestos Exposure on Ships:

USS FORRESTAL CV 59 AIRCRAFT

Named after the former Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, the USS Forrestal is a supercarrier ordered on the 12th of July 1951. The USS Forrestal was the leading ship in her class, from which three other carriers were part of. Construction on the USS Forrestal started on the 14th of July 1952, and ended on the 11th of December 1954, with a total cost of over 200 million dollars. The ship was built by Newport News Shipbuilding and was sponsored by Josephine Forrestal, widow of Secretary Forrestal. The USS Forrestal entered active serve on the 1st of October 1955. The ship was the first to officially carry jet engine aircraft and helicopters.

The USS Forrestal was decommissioned from active service on the 11th of September 1993, and was sunk as an artificial reef. Here are some of her main characteristics:

  • Forrestal class aircraft carrier
  • 1067 feet in length
  • Propulsion was done by 4 steam turbines producing in excess of 270000 HP
  • Maximum speed was 33 knots
  • Total crew of over 5500
  • Carried almost all types of planes and helicopters of the United States Navy.
  • Maximum range of almost 30000 nautical miles, at the cruising speed of 17 knots

Asbestos on the USS Forrestal has serious consequences

It is known that most of the United States Navy ships were built using a lot of asbestos containing materials, mainly for fire proofing and insulating. This was friable asbestos and when damaged it released asbestos fibers. Crew members were facing an unknown enemy, simply because of the fact that asbestos was not considered dangerous at the time. There were no reported cases of such diseases appearing in former crew members.

Have you been exposed to asbestos on the USS Forrestal? Contact an attorney!

We recommend that you contact an attorney as soon as the doctor released the diagnosis stating that you are suffering from an asbestos related disease. Waste no time, because you will need to be able to properly treat your disease. Your designated attorney will evaluate your case and closely study your medical history, determining how best to approach the problem. He will also file the claim in your name, following a strict legal set of procedures.

Please do not hesitate to contact an asbestos professional if you think you need further details regarding asbestos related issues. We will provide with important information fast and completely free.