USS Coral Sea The Midway-Class Exposed to Asbestos
Hull Number: CV-43
Type: Aircraft Carrier
Class: Midway
Built: Newport News, VA
About USS Coral Sea The Midway-Class
The USS Coral Sea was a Midway-class Aircraft Carrier built by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company with the capacity to carry up to 130 aircraft, manned by a complement of 4,104 officers and enlisted.
It was commissioned by the U.S. Navy soon after the end of World War II, in October 1947. The vessel had a notable length of service, and remained in active duty for over forty years. This earned it the nickname “Ageless Warrior” before finally being decommissioned in 1990.
Asbestos Exposure in USS Coral Sea The Midway-Class
Veterans who served aboard the U.S. Navy ships were most likely exposed to asbestos. Many pieces of equipment on Navy ships built between the 1930’s and 1970’s were made with asbestos, including boilers, turbines, electrical components, valves, and pumps.
Materials such as gaskets and packing were also made from asbestos. The engine and boiler rooms held especially high concentrations of asbestos equipment and materials, putting veterans who worked in these spaces at additional risk.
The companies who made these asbestos products never warned veterans of the dangers of asbestos, even though they were often aware of how deadly it could be. Many thousands of cases of mesothelioma were caused by this negligence.
If you served aboard the USS Coral Sea and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is likely you were exposed in the line of duty.
Navy Veterans with asbestos-related illness have a right to seek compensation, and will not lose their VA benefits by pursuing legal action. The law has placed limits on the amount of time victims can file a lawsuit, so it is important to contact legal counsel soon after a diagnosis.
