Asbestos Exposure on Ships:

USS TOPEKA CL 67 CRUISER

The cruiser was launched on 19th August 1944 and it was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 23rd December 1944 to the command of Captain Thomas L. Wattles. USS Topeka was the second ship of the U.S. Navy to be named after the city of Topeka, Kansas. The cruiser departed Boston on 10th April 1945 for duty in the Pacific Fleet, after final shakedown. She sailed west from Pearl Harbor as the flagship of Cruiser Division 18. On her first cruise with the fast carriers, she covered them against air attack, while the planes of the carriers made three raids against targets in the enemy’s home islands and the Ryukyu Islands. Early in 1957, Topeka arrived at the New York Naval Shipyard to begin conversion to a Providence-class guided missile light cruiser. On 26th March 1960, the cruiser was decommissioned with Captain Frank L. Pinny in command and in July she made passage from New York back to the west coast. She headed back to the western Pacific for redeployment during which her primary mission was to support the American and South Vietnamese forces fighting the communists. Topeka was decommissioned on 5th June 1969 and was awarded two battle stars for her World War II service and three battle stars for her Vietnam service. The cruisers main characteristics are:

  • Weight 10 000 tons
  • Length 608 feet
  • Speed 32 knots
  • Complement was 1410 officers and crew

Asbestos on board the USS Topeka has serious consequences

The USS Topeka was built using the most modern technology available at the time, but even so, the need of using asbestos materials remained and that is why she was a part of the so called “asbestos cruisers”. These materials were easily damageable, so they created a dangerous environment for the officers and the crew on board. Very tiny asbestos fibers were released in the atmosphere of the cruiser and anyone on board could have been in contact with them. The inhalation or swallowing of these fibers and asbestos particles could lead to very harmful diseases and serious health problems.

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

If you or someone you know came in contact with asbestos on the ship, it is important that you know that the law is on your side in this case. After a visit to the doctor and with your diagnosis sheet, you can contact a specialized asbestos attorney. The lawyer will examine your case and file a claim in your name, and you could receive compensation.

Please feel free to contact an asbestos specialist at any point for further information regarding legal aspects. This is completely free.