If you served in the U.S. Navy or worked in a Texas shipyard and later developed mesothelioma, you and your family can file a claim. Navy ships and shipyards were among the most asbestos-saturated workplaces in American history, and Texas’s Gulf Coast was a center of shipbuilding and repair. According to Danziger & De Llano’s 2025 Mesothelioma Veteran Exposure Report, 32% of recent mesothelioma claimants are U.S. military veterans, most of whom served aboard Navy vessels or in shipyards. This page explains who was exposed, where it happened in Texas, how veterans and shipyard families recover (lawsuit, trust funds, and VA benefits), what these cases are worth, and the two-year Texas deadline.
Why Navy and shipyard work caused so much mesothelioma
For most of the 20th century, the military used asbestos throughout ships, buildings, vehicles, and aircraft because it was cheap, available, and resisted heat and fire. That choice protected sailors from fire, and decades later caused cancer. Veterans account for nearly one-third of all U.S. mesothelioma deaths despite making up only about 8% of the population (Danziger & De Llano 2025 Veteran Exposure Report; The Hidden Enemy: Asbestos’ Long, Deadly Toll on U.S. Veterans). As the National Cancer Institute confirms, asbestos exposure causes most cases of mesothelioma, and inhaled fibers can lodge in the lining of the lungs for decades before disease appears, a documented health hazard tracked by federal health agencies.
- 32% of recent claimants are veterans, most Navy or shipyard.
- 18% were family members exposed indirectly (take-home exposure).
- ~1/3 of U.S. mesothelioma deaths are veterans (vs. ~8% of the population).
- 20-50 years: typical latency between exposure and diagnosis.
Texas shipyards and naval sites where exposure happened
Texas’s Gulf Coast built and repaired ships for the Navy and commercial fleets for decades, and asbestos insulation, lagging, gaskets, and fireproofing were everywhere in that work. The highest-exposure Texas sites include:
| Texas site / region | Work performed | Typical asbestos source |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Ship Channel | Shipbuilding, repair & dry-dock work | Pipe insulation, boiler lagging, gaskets, fireproofing |
| Port of Galveston (incl. Todd Shipyards) | Naval & commercial ship repair | Engine-room and boiler insulation, packing, refractory |
| Brown Shipbuilding, Houston | WWII-era warship construction | Asbestos insulation throughout hulls and machinery spaces |
| Orange & Beaumont yards (Consolidated Steel, Levingston) | Destroyer & vessel construction/repair | Lagging, block insulation, gaskets, welding rod |
| U.S. Navy vessels in dry dock | Overhaul by Texas shipyard contractors | Removal/replacement of insulation, gaskets & packing |
Sailors home-ported elsewhere were also exposed in Texas when their ships came in for dry-dock overhauls handled by local shipyard contractors, work that meant tearing out and replacing asbestos insulation in tight engine and boiler spaces.
Navy ratings and shipyard trades with the highest exposure
The closer the job was to the ship’s heat, boilers, turbines, steam piping, the heavier the asbestos exposure. The most affected jobs include:
| Setting | Highest-exposure jobs & ratings |
|---|---|
| U.S. Navy (shipboard) | Boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, enginemen, pipefitters, hull technicians, water tenders, Seabees |
| Shipyard trades | Insulators (laggers), pipefitters, welders, boilermakers, electricians, gasket & packing workers |
| Where the exposure happened | Engine rooms, boiler rooms, fire rooms, pump rooms, and during insulation tear-out in overhauls |
How Navy veterans and shipyard workers (and families) recover
There are several separate ways to recover, and most families pursue more than one at once. Importantly, veterans generally cannot sue the Navy or the military, but you can sue the companies that made the asbestos products, claim the manufacturers’ trust funds, and separately apply for VA benefits.
| Claim type | Who files | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Personal-injury lawsuit | The diagnosed veteran or worker | Medical costs, lost income, pain & suffering, against asbestos product makers |
| Wrongful-death action | Surviving spouse, children, parents | The family’s losses after a death (Texas CPRC §71.004) |
| Survival action | The estate’s representative | Harms the deceased suffered before death |
| Asbestos trust-fund claim | Veteran, worker, or family | Compensation from bankrupt manufacturers’ trusts, separate from any lawsuit |
| VA disability / DIC | Veteran (disability) or surviving spouse (DIC) | Tax-free VA benefits for service-connected mesothelioma, does not reduce a lawsuit or trust claim |
For the underlying claims, see the firm’s guides to asbestos trust-fund compensation, veterans’ mesothelioma benefits, and Texas wrongful-death claims. Spouses and children who developed mesothelioma from fibers carried home should read about take-home (secondary) exposure.
What Texas Navy & shipyard mesothelioma cases are worth
Value depends on the exposure history, which companies remain solvent or trust-backed, and the venue. Past results reported by Danziger & De Llano for Navy and Texas industrial workers include:
- Confidential multi-million-dollar recovery, U.S. Navy veteran & industrial worker with pleural mesothelioma, exposed in shipboard boiler/engine spaces and later industrial work
- $7.4 million, Texas shipyard worker with peritoneal mesothelioma
- $12.1 million, Houston oil refinery worker exposed in the 1970s
- $3.2 million, wife and children of a refinery worker
Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. To estimate a specific claim, use our case-value review or browse real asbestos settlements.
Texas filing deadline (statute of limitations)
Under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §71.004, a wrongful-death claim is generally due within two years of the date of death, and a personal-injury claim within two years of diagnosis. VA disability claims have no deadline, but asbestos exposure evidence, ship records, job histories, product identification, gets harder to assemble over time. It is best to speak with a Texas asbestos attorney promptly. Workplace asbestos limits are set by OSHA, but a separate civil claim is how injured veterans and workers actually recover.
Why Texas Navy and shipyard families choose Danziger & De Llano
Danziger & De Llano, LLP is a Houston asbestos and mesothelioma firm with first-hand knowledge of Texas naval and shipyard exposure, the Ship Channel, the Galveston and Orange yards, and the Navy vessels overhauled along the Gulf Coast. The firm reconstructs the specific ships, worksites, and asbestos products behind an exposure and pursues every responsible manufacturer and trust, while helping veterans line up their VA benefits. Cases are handled on contingency, no fee unless we recover for you. See also our Texas refinery & industrial-worker claims and surviving-spouse claims pages.
Danziger & De Llano, LLP · 440 Louisiana Street, Suite 1212, Houston, TX 77002 · 1-866-222-9990
Texas Navy & shipyard mesothelioma claims: FAQ
Can a Navy veteran file a mesothelioma lawsuit and still receive VA benefits?
Yes. Veterans generally cannot sue the U.S. Navy or the military itself, but you can file claims against the companies that manufactured the asbestos products used on ships and in shipyards, pursue asbestos trust-fund claims, and separately apply for VA disability compensation. These are different paths and most veterans pursue more than one at the same time, a lawsuit or trust claim does not reduce your VA benefits.
Which Navy jobs and shipyard trades had the highest asbestos exposure?
Below-deck Navy ratings worked closest to asbestos: boiler technicians, machinist’s mates, enginemen, pipefitters, hull technicians, water tenders, and Seabees. In the shipyards, insulators (laggers), pipefitters, welders, boilermakers, electricians, and gasket and packing workers handled asbestos insulation, lagging, and refractory material daily. Anyone who served in or repaired engine rooms, boiler rooms, and fire rooms is at elevated risk.
Where in Texas did shipyard asbestos exposure happen?
Texas Gulf Coast shipbuilding and ship-repair centers used asbestos heavily for decades, the Houston Ship Channel, the Port of Galveston (including Todd Shipyards), Brown Shipbuilding in Houston, and the Orange and Beaumont yards (Consolidated Steel and Levingston Shipbuilding). Sailors were also exposed aboard ship during dry-dock overhauls performed by Texas shipyard contractors.
How much is a Texas Navy or shipyard mesothelioma case worth?
It depends on the exposure history, which companies remain solvent or trust-backed, and the venue. Past results reported by Danziger & De Llano include a confidential multi-million-dollar recovery for a U.S. Navy veteran and industrial worker with pleural mesothelioma, $7.4 million for a Texas shipyard worker, and $12.1 million for a Houston refinery worker. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What is the deadline to file a Texas asbestos claim?
Under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §71.004, a wrongful-death claim is generally due within two years of the date of death and a personal-injury claim within two years of diagnosis. VA disability claims have no filing deadline, but exposure evidence gets harder to prove over time, so it is best to speak with a Texas asbestos attorney promptly.
Can the family of a deceased Navy veteran or shipyard worker file a claim?
Yes. In Texas the surviving spouse, children, and parents, or the estate’s representative, may bring a wrongful-death action for the family’s losses and a survival action on the estate’s behalf, and may claim asbestos trust funds. A surviving spouse of a veteran whose death is service-connected may also qualify for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
Do I have to have served or worked in Texas to hire a Texas mesothelioma firm?
No. Danziger & De Llano is a Houston-based national asbestos firm and handles Navy and shipyard exposure cases regardless of where you served, where the ship was home-ported, or where the shipyard was located. What matters is reconstructing the asbestos products and worksites behind the exposure.
Talk to a Texas Navy & shipyard mesothelioma lawyer, free case review
If asbestos aboard a Navy ship or in a Texas shipyard caused mesothelioma in your family, you may have limited time to act on the lawsuit and trust-fund side, and there is no deadline to start your VA claim. Call 1-866-222-9990 for a free, confidential case review. No fee unless we recover for you.
Prepared by the legal team at Danziger & De Llano, LLP. For educational purposes only; not legal advice. Laws, deadlines, and outcomes vary by jurisdiction and case. This is attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Related: California veterans exposed at naval shipyards and bases, see our guide to California veterans’ mesothelioma claims.
Related: See the source-cited the latest mesothelioma statistics (incidence, survival, deaths, and who is at risk).
Related: Served or living in Florida? See Florida veterans’ mesothelioma claims.
Related: For another occupation lane, see Pennsylvania steelworker mesothelioma claims.
Related: Worked on the railroad? See railroad worker mesothelioma & FELA claims.
More: Browse all mesothelioma claims by occupation.
Legally reviewed by Paul Danziger, Founding Partner, Danziger & De Llano, LLP, admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1993 (Bar No. 00788880); J.D., Northwestern University School of Law. Last reviewed: June 2026.
This page is for general information and is not legal advice. Contact us for a free, confidential case review.