Bath Iron Works (BIW), located in Bath, Maine, is one of the United States’ premier naval shipbuilders, specializing in surface combatants — including Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and their predecessors. Operating since 1884, BIW built significant numbers of destroyers, frigates, and other surface combatants during World War II and throughout the Cold War, including Knox-class frigates and Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. The publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus documents BIW with specificity — including asbestosis cases attributed to amosite pipe covering at the yard, Maine state asbestos litigation centered on BIW workers, and trust fund documentation — making Bath Iron Works one of the most extensively documented private Navy contractor asbestos venues in the Northeast.

Who Was Exposed at Bath Iron Works

Workers at Bath Iron Works in the following capacities may have asbestos exposure claims:

  • Pipe coverers and insulators who installed amosite and chrysotile pipe insulation throughout new ship construction at BIW
  • Pipefitters and Plumbers who worked alongside insulation crews cutting and fitting asbestos-gasket-sealed pipe connections
  • Boilermakers and Machinists who fitted and installed asbestos-insulated boilers and machinery
  • Shipfitters, Welders, and Burners who worked in enclosed ship spaces during active asbestos insulation installation
  • BIW supervisors, foremen, and quality assurance personnel who walked through active asbestos insulation areas

VA Claims and Legal Options — Bath Iron Works ME Workers

Navy veterans who served as Supship or PCU staff at Bath Iron Works, and civilian BIW workers who built Navy ships, 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
  • Bath Iron Works Trust claims for former BIW civilian employees
  • Civil claims against Bartlet Asbestos & Cork and other asbestos insulation manufacturers whose products were used at BIW

Key documents for a Bath Iron Works claim:

  • Employment records — BIW employment records documenting trades role, department, and service dates
  • DD-214 or orders — documenting Navy Supship Bath or PCU assignment
  • 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 the amosite asbestosis investigation at BIW, Maine asbestos litigation filings, Bath Iron Works Trust fund documentation, and personal testimony from BIW shipbuilders. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.