Avondale Shipyards, located on the west bank of the Mississippi River near New Orleans, Louisiana, was one of the largest Navy contract shipbuilders in the United States from World War II through the early 2000s. Avondale built significant portions of the Knox-class frigate fleet, military sealift command ships, and other Navy surface vessels, employing tens of thousands of Louisiana workers in pipe covering, insulation, boilermaking, shipfitting, and related trades throughout the asbestos era. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Avondale Shipyards with exceptional breadth — including named ship construction lists, specific asbestos product use documentation, personal testimony from former employees, and Avondale’s appearance in many hundreds of independent asbestos filings in the national MDL.

Who Was Exposed at Avondale Shipyards

Workers at Avondale Shipyards in the following capacities may have asbestos exposure claims:

  • Pipe coverers and insulators who installed asbestos pipe lagging and boiler insulation throughout Navy ship construction
  • Pipefitters, Plumbers, and Boilermakers who worked in asbestos-insulated spaces during system installation and testing
  • Electricians who routed cable through asbestos-insulated spaces
  • Shipfitters, Welders, and Structural workers in enclosed spaces during asbestos insulation installation
  • Supervisors and inspectors who walked through active asbestos insulation work areas

VA Claims and Legal Options — Avondale Shipyards LA Workers

Navy veterans who served as Supship or pre-commissioning crew at Avondale, and civilian workers who built Navy ships there, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for Navy Supship and PCU veterans
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) for civilian Avondale workers
  • Civil claims against manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation products supplied to Avondale under named contracts

Key documents for an Avondale claim:

  • Employment records — Avondale employment records documenting trade, department, and service dates
  • Ship records — identifying which Avondale-built vessel you worked on
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

All consultations are free. No fee unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf.

Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including named ship construction lists, asbestos product use documentation, personal testimony from Avondale workers, and the extensive national asbestos MDL docket identifying Avondale Shipyards as a primary exposure venue. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.