The USS Oklahoma BB37 is the subject of a memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Built in Camden, New Jersey in 1912, “the Okie” (as she was affectionately called by her crew) was a battleship based at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941.
On that fateful day, the USS Oklahoma BB37 took three torpedo hits by Japanese planes and began to capsize. Hundreds of sailors, marines and officers were trapped below deck. Many were able to escape, but 429 men died inside the Oklahoma that day — the second-greatest loss of life that day at Pearl Harbor.
It took months to salvage the USS Oklahoma, but the ship was never the same, and it was decommissioned in 1944.
The USS Oklahoma BB37 and Asbestos
The USS Oklahoma was likely built with numerous asbestos-containing components. There were certainly many uses for asbestos aboard the USS Oklahoma, such as:
insulation around boilers, plumbing, and electrical parts
in welding blankets
in the walls
machinery insulation
Airborne Asbestos Fibers
Asbestos is made of millions of tiny fibers that can come loose when the asbestos is manipulated — such as when asbestos parts are installed, repaired or removed. Many hundreds of people were involved in the construction and maintenance of the Oklahoma, and hundreds more served their country on board. All of these individuals may have been exposed to airborne fibers of asbestos.
Decades after their involvement with battleships like the USS Oklahoma BB37, sailors and shipbuilders are being diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis. The latency of these diseases is typically 10 to 50 years after the exposure to asbestos.
Contact a Lawyer Who Fights for the Rights of Asbestos Victims
If you served aboard the USS Oklahoma BB37 (or your loved one did) and developed an asbestos-related illness, contact an experienced personal injury attorney today. You may be entitled to a monetary settlement or award.
