Sun Shipbuilding

While Sun Shipbuilding is no longer in operation, former workers of this shipyard are still threatened by asbestos exposure they may have suffered years ago. Like many other shipping facilities, Sun Shipbuilding once used asbestos extensively in insulation, flooring, wall and ceiling construction, gasket-sealing, fireproofing, valve-fitting, coating and layering, and much more. Asbestos, while beneficial in many shipping applications, is extremely harmful to human health.

Sun Shipbuilding and Asbestos Exposure

All those who once worked at Sun Shipbuilding are at risk of serious health consequences posed by prolonged and continuous exposure to asbestos. The threat is this: asbestos fibers in the air around the Sun Shipbuilding yard could have invaded a worker's body via ingestion or inhalation. Once asbestos enters the body, it can lodge in the lining of the lungs, heart, and/or gastrointestinal tract. This can lead to a number of problems including serious respiratory illness and a cancer called mesothelioma.

Asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma can take years and even decades to become symptomatic. This means that you could have been exposed to asbestos on the job at Sun Shipbuilding decades ago but are just now developing symptoms.

Sun Shipbuilding History

Sun Shipbuilding, founded by Sun Oil, has been around since the start of the 1900s. In fact, during World War I, Sun Shipbuilding was used by the military. The shipyard continued to produce military water vessels throughout the major wars of the 20 th century. At the peak of their wartime efforts, Sun Shipbuilding employed over 35,000 workers and built oil tankers, hospital ships, carrier escorts, cargo vessels, and destroyers.

Primarily, however, Sun Shipbuilding was involved in commercial operations. For decades, Sun Shipbuilding produced oil supertankers for Sun Oil and Standard Oil Company. While Sun Shipbuilding enjoyed decades of tremendous success, tough competition eventually forced the company to sell to Penn Shipbuilding in 1977.

Sun Shipbuilding and your Legal Rights

For the entire duration of Sun Shipbuilding's operations, asbestos was used extensively without knowledge of its serious threats to human health. It wasn't until the 1980s that the dangers of asbestos were discovered. Nonetheless, those who have suffered serious illness caused by asbestos exposure at Sun Shipbuilding have the legal right to seek compensation for their illness and suffering.

If you or a loved one once worked at Sun Shipbuilding and developed an illness caused by asbestos, you may be able to get help with your medical and other financial expenses. To learn more about asbestos exposure at Sun Shipbuilding, please contact us today.