The ships and submarines of the United States Navy are complexly engineered vessels that patrol numerous oceans and keep sea lanes safe for commercial traffic worldwide. Each vessel requires an enormous amount of energy, machinery and manpower in order for it to operate and function. Navy Machinist Mates are integral to the operation of a variety of Navy vessels. Machinist’s Mates maintain and operate steam turbines and reduction gears used for ship propulsion, as well as pumps and oil purifiers. Machinist Mates also maintain additional auxiliary machinery, such as electrohydraulic steering engines and elevators, refrigeration plants, air conditioning systems and desalinization plants. In addition, Machinists Mates also operate and maintain steam catapults on aircraft carriers.

Auxiliary machinery on US Navy ships and submarines produces high and intense heat that requires well-insulated equipment. Prior to the 1970s and because of its unique high temperature resiliency and nearly indestructible qualities, asbestos was used as the insulation material of choice for a variety of equipment. Asbestos insulation covered pipes and ducts throughout Navy ships and submarines. Asbestos insulated boilers; it was used as packing in pumps and valves, and could be found in gasket material maintained by Machinist Mates.

Those who worked on and around pipes, ducts, valves and gaskets were often exposed to tremendous amounts of asbestos-containing airborne dust.

Common defendants in an asbestos-related Navy Machinist Mate case include:

  • AGCO CORPORATION (as successor in interest to ALLIS-CHALMERS CORPORATION)
  • ALFA-LAVAL SEPARATION, INC. (as successor-in-interest to SHARPLES, INC.)
  • ALLIS CHALMERS CORPORATION PRODUCT LIABILITY TRUST successor to ALLIS CHALMERS CORPORATION
  • ARMSTRONG INTERNATIONAL, INC., individually and as successor to ARMSTRONG MACHINE WORKS
  • AURORA PUMP COMPANY
  • BADGER METER, INC.
  • BLACKMER PUMP COMPANY
  • BORG-WARNER CORPORATION by its successor in interest, BorgWarner Morse TEC Inc.
  • BUFFALO PUMPS, INC.
  • BW/IP INTERNATIONAL, INC. individually and as successor in interest to BYRON JACKSON PUMP COMPANY
  • CASE NEW HOLLAND INC. (individually and as successor-in-interest to INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY)
  • CBS CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, f/k/a Viacom Inc., successor by merger to CBS Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation f/k/a Westinghouse Electric Corporation
  • CLEAVER-BROOKS COMPANY
  • COLTEC INDUSTRIES INC. individually and as successor in interest to FAIRBANKS MORSE ENGINE
  • CRANE CO. individually and as successor in interest to COCHRANE CORPORATION and also as successor in interest to CHEMPUMP COMPANY
  • CRANE ENVIRONMENTAL, INC. individually and as successor in interest to COCHRANE CORPORATION
  • CROSBY VALVE, INC.
  • CROWN CORK & SEAL COMPANY, INC. individually and as successor in interest to MUNDET CORK COMPANY
  • CURTISS-WRIGHT FLOW CONTROL CORPORATION, individually and as successor-in-interest to SPRAGUE PRODUCTS)
  • DOVER CORPORATION as successor to BLACKMER PUMP COMPANY
  • FAIRBANKS MORSE PUMP CORPORATION
  • FLOWSERVE US INC. as successor to BYRON JACKSON PUMP COMPANY and also as successor to EDWARD VALVE, INC.
  • FMC CORPORATION, ( individually and as successor-in-interest to PEERLESS PUMP COMPANY)
  • FORD MOTOR COMPANY
  • FOSTER WHEELER LLC
  • GARDNER DENVER, INC.
  • GARLOCK SEALING TECHNOLOGIES LLC, individually and as successor-in-interest to GARLOCK, INC. and U.S. GASKET CO.)
  • GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
  • GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
  • GENUINE PARTS COMPANY
  • GOULDS PUMPS (NY), INC. (individually and as successor-in-interest to GOULDS PUMPS (TX), LP)
  • HARDIE-TYNES, LLC successor in interest to HARDIE-TYNES MANUFACTURING COMPANY
  • HOKE, INC.
  • HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., f/k/a AlliedSignal, Inc., and as Successor in Interest to The Bendix Corporation
  • HOPEMAN BROTHERS INC.
  • IMO INDUSTRIES INC., individually and as successor in interest to IMO DELAVAL,
  • INGERSOLL-RAND COMPANY
  • INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE CORPORATION, f/k/a NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION CORP., f/k/a INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER
  • JOHN CRANE INC., formerly JOHN CRANE-HOUDAILLE INDUSTRIES,
  • LESLIE CONTROLS, INC.
  • MAREMONT CORPORATION
  • NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE PARTS ASSOCIATION, individually and as successor to COLUMBIA AUTO PARTS CORPORATION
  • PARKER-HANNIFIN CORPORATION, successor to DENISON HYDRAULICS, INC. f/k/a DENISON ENGINEERING
  • REPCO, INC.
  • STANDCO INDUSTRIES, INC.
  • STERLING FLUID SYSTEMS (AMERICAS) INC. f/k/a PEERLESS PUMPS CO.
  • THE GORMAN-RUPP COMPANY, (sued individually as successor-in-interest to C.H. WHEELER)
  • THE NASH ENGINEERING COMPANY
  • THE WILLIAM POWELL COMPANY
  • UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION
  • VELAN VALVE CORP.
  • WARREN PUMPS, INC.
  • WEIR VALVES & CONTROLS USA INC. f/k/a ATWOOD & MORRILL CO., INC.,
  • YARWAY CORPORATION, individually and as successor in interest to GIMPEL CORPORATION

The attorneys at Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford, LLC have gathered a vast amount of information regarding the type and variety of asbestos containing products to which our clients were exposed. Our clients understand the importance of securing legal representation as soon as possible after a diagnosis of mesothelioma or lung cancer. If you or a loved one were once employed as machinist mate and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, we urge you to contact us regarding your legal rights.

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