The New York Shipbuilding Corporation 

Built by Henry G. Morse, who came from a long career building tunnels and bridges, The NY shipbuilding corporation was a top-notch shipyard, by 1899 standards. That was the year it was built, in Camden, New Jersey. 

Morse had a creed about building ships. It involved, among other things, using prefab parts, using cranes to move parts around the yard, and a commitment that weather wouldn´t cause delays in production. Operations began in 1901. Among the first ships launched by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, many were battleships.

When the first World War came, the company became the biggest shipbuilding facility on the planet. While over forty of its ships were in use by the Navy before WWII, the war business proved very profitable as well, the second time around. To comply with the increasing demand, the company was now employing over 30,000 people.  From battleships to seaplanes and destroyers, NY Shipbuilding built all manner of war embarkations.

Following the war´s end, the focus was switched to atomic submarines. However, by 1967, the demand had dwindled, the shipyard was obsolete, and the facility was shut down. Unfortunately, much before closing time, the company was responsible for the exposure of thousands of employees to the dangerous asbestos.

Asbestos was one of the prime raw materials fo the shipbuilding industry in the XXth century. It was present in pipes, boilers, and wherever serious insulation was required. The work involved in building the ships clearly meant extended exposure for workers, as they had to cut, saw, fit, and hammer asbestos containing materials. Thousands of people who were thus employed in the shipbuilding industry have developed asbestos-related conditions such as asbestosis and mesothelioma; many have died from them.
 
Since the industries using asbestos did not disclose the hazards of asbestos contamination for workers, the victims have steadily been fighting for and been awarded multi-million dollar compensations in courts all over the country. If you suffered from exposure to asbestos at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation or a similar shipbuilding facility, the Weitz & Luxenberg Asbestos lawyers may be able to help with a view to the  filing of a claim. We are prepared to provide you with a complimentary case assessment, as well as relevant medical and legal information.