Asbestos Exposure on Ships:

USS INDEPENDENCE CV 62 AIRCRAFT

The USS Independence was the fifth ship to bare the name, and sixth in her class of aircraft carriers. Sponsored by Mrs. Thomas S. Gates, wife of the Secretary of the Navy, the ships was built during the 7th of July 1955 and 6th of June 1958 by the New York Navy Yard. The total cost of USS Independence was almost 200 million dollars, being one of the ships that were built within budget. After being ordered on the 2nd of July 1954, the USS Independence was commissioned to active service on the 10th of January 1959. Being one of the ships that served the longest, the USS Independence was decommissioned on the 30th of September 1998, after almost thirty years of active service. The ship was used in several important military actions during the Korean War, and has proved important mostly because of the following main characteristics:

  • Forrestal class aircraft carrier (also carried propeller and jet engine fighters, as well as helicopters)
  • 80643 tons in full weight
  • 1046 feet in length
  • Eight boilers and four geared turbines producing over 280000 horse power provided propulsion for the USS Independence
  • Maximum speed of 33 knots
  • Maximum range of 8000 nautical miles at 20 knots
  • Could a wide range of aircraft, for a maximum of 120 planes and helicopters

Asbestos on the USS Independence has serious consequences

Asbestos materials were used on a large scale on board United States Navy ships during the period that the USS Independence was built in. Even the slightest damage to those materials could easily release dangerous asbestos fibers, able to cause a wide range of serious medical conditions. Many of the ships former crew members have been lately diagnosed with asbestos related diseases, so if you are one of them we recommend having a complete medical exam as soon as possible to discover any type of asbestos related disease.

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

If you are a former crew member of the USS Independence we strongly recommend having a complete medical check-up done. If the doctor discovers any asbestos related disease you may be entitled to some form of compensation but only after a trial. For such a legal action you would need the expertise of a specialized mesothelioma or asbestos lawyer. He or she will do everything necessary for a claim to be filed and for the start of the trial. Approximately 90 percent of all cases are won by the plaintiff.

Contact an asbestos professional whenever you require information regarding an asbestos related issue. It is completely free.