Asbestos Exposure on the USS Brush

Hull Number: DD-745
Type: Destroyer
Class: Allen M. Sumner
Built: Staten Island, NY

The USS Brush was an Allen M. Sumner-class Destroyer built during World War II by Bethlehem Steel at their Staten Island, NY facility. It measured slightly over 376 feet fore to aft, and carried a complement of 336 officers and enlisted. The U.S. Navy commissioned the ship in April of 1944, and assigned it to fight in the Pacific.

It served in several important operations, including the Leyte operation, the invasion of Iwo Jima, and the Okinawa operation. The ship earned five battle stars over the course of the war, and went on to fight in the Korean War, where it earned an additional four battle stars. It was decommissioned in October of 1969 and sold to Taiwan in December of that year.

Navy veterans who served aboard the USS Brush were likely exposed to asbestos during the course of their regular duty. Navy ships built prior to the mid-1970’s, and in some cases beyond, commonly used asbestos in much of the vital equipment on board, including boilers, turbines, pumps, valves, and electrical components.

Materials such as gaskets and packing were also often made entirely from asbestos. The boiler and engine spaces on Navy ships were especially dangerous areas, as these typically held a higher-than-average concentration of asbestos equipment. The companies who sold these asbestos products to the Navy were often aware of how dangerous their products could be, but did nothing to warn those who served on the USS Brush or its contemporaries.

Asbestos victims who have developed to mesothelioma or other asbestos-related illnesses have a right to seek compensation. Victims may recoup medical expenses in whole or part, and additional sums for pain and suffering may be provided. The law limits time in which legal action can be undertaken however, so it is important to seek counsel soon after receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis.