Todds Shipyard, Los Angeles

Todds Shipyard in Los Angeles was also known as Todds Shipyard-San Pedro. It was part of the shipyard complex at the Port of Los Angeles, and following the Todds Shipyard closure in 1989, the shipyard facilities and property were converted into part of the Port's West Basin Container Terminal. Former employees of the Todds Shipyard may now be facing illnesses caused directly by the time they spent building ships in San Pedro.

No Safety Regulations to Limit Asbestos Exposure

The Todds Shipyard employees built a wide variety of military vessels and commercial ships. In the WWI and Korean War years, there were no workplace precautions in place to protect the health of these shipyard workers, and many workers were subjected to hazardous levels of asbestos.

Hundreds of Asbestos Ship Components

Asbestos was considered an ideal material for insulation and fireproofing on board ships. It was used in hundreds of shipbuilding applications, including:

• Boilers
• Wall insulation
• Turbines
• Pipe covering
• Gaskets
• Pumps
• Cement

When an asbestos product is manipulated as it is being installed, moved, or removed, it releases tiny fibers of asbestos, which are so small that they float in the air for hours or even days. The same is true when asbestos is damaged or deteriorates. Since many ship components once contained asbestos, the shipyard workers who handled these components were often breathing in the asbestos fibers, whether they realized they were doing so or not.

Asbestos Causes Cancer

Many cases of asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer (both small-cell lung cancer and non-small-cell lung cancer) have been caused directly by asbestos exposure on the job in places like the Todds Shipyard in Los Angeles.

If you have received a serious diagnosis because of asbestos exposure, or your loved one has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, contact us to learn more about your options.