Asbestos Exposure on Ships:

USS PHOENIX CL 46 CRUISER

USS Phoenix was a Brooklyn-class light cruiser, and was the third ship on the United States Navy to carry the name. It was launched on 13th March 1938 and commissioned at Philadelphia Navy Yard on 3rd October 1938, with Captain John W. Rankin in command. Phoenix operated off the West Coast and was later based at Pearl Harbor where the fateful morning of 7th December 1941 found her anchored southeast of Ford Island near Solace. Observers onboard the cruiser sighted the rising sun of Japan on strange planes coming in low over Ford Island and a few seconds later the ship's guns took them under fire. Phoenix escaped the disaster unharmed and shortly after noon was underway to join the USS St. Louis, Detroit and several destroyers in an improvised task force searching, unsuccessfully, for the enemy aircraft carriers. After World War II the ship was decommissioned on 3rd July 1946, then transferred to Argentina in 1951 and was ultimately renamed the General Belgrano. General Belgrano was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982 by the British nuclear-powered submarine HMS Conqueror. She was the first, ship to have been sunk by a nuclear-powered submarine. Phoenix received nine battle stars for World War II operations. Her main technical details are:

  • Displacement 10 000 tons
  • Length 608 feet
  • Speed 33.6 knots
  • Carried four floatplanes and had two catapults

Asbestos on the USS Phoenix has serious consequences

During the period this cruiser was built large amounts of asbestos materials was used under the form of insulating and fireproofing materials. This created a very dangerous environment for the crew members on board, especially because of the fact that asbestos was not known to be dangerous at the time. Asbestos materials were damaged and asbestos fibers were released into the air. Inhaling or swallowing these tiny fibers is the cause of many diseases today, and so was the case back then.

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

Inform yourself about the legal rights because it might prove useful. If you served on board of USS Phoenix, make sure you contact a specialized attorney and let him know that you need legal advice in what concerns your case. He will have an evaluation done on your situation and decide whether or not to file a claim in your name. If so, it will allow you to pay for medical bills and receive the best treatment available.

Do not hesitate to contact an asbestos specialist. We will help you with information and advice absolutely free.