Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, located in Kearny, New Jersey at the confluence of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers near Newark Bay, was one of the major naval shipyards in the New York metropolitan area, building destroyers, destroyer escorts, and other Navy vessels during World War II under contracts with the U.S. Navy. At its peak, the Kearny yard employed more than 14,000 workers. Federal Shipbuilding was a subsidiary of U.S. Steel Corporation during its primary operating period. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Federal Shipbuilding with named asbestos product suppliers — including Foster Wheeler — personal worker testimony, feedwater heater asbestos documentation, and the yard’s presence in the New York City asbestos litigation record.

Who Was Exposed at Federal Shipbuilding

Workers at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock in Kearny in the following capacities may have asbestos exposure claims:

  • Insulation workers who installed asbestos pipe lagging and boiler insulation in destroyer construction
  • Boilermakers and Pipefitters who worked with Foster Wheeler boilers and asbestos-insulated steam systems
  • Workers who handled Foster Wheeler economizers and feedwater heaters with asbestos gaskets
  • All trades workers in enclosed destroyer spaces during active asbestos insulation installation

VA Claims and Legal Options — Federal Shipbuilding Kearny NJ Workers

Navy veterans who served as pre-commissioning crew at Federal Shipbuilding, and civilian workers who built destroyers at the Kearny yard, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for:

  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) for civilian Federal Shipbuilding workers
  • 524(g) asbestos trust fund claims — trust fund documentation appears in the corpus for Federal Shipbuilding
  • Civil claims against Foster Wheeler (and successors) for asbestos boiler and heat exchanger products, and against other named suppliers

Key documents for a Federal Shipbuilding claim:

  • Employment records — Federal Shipbuilding employment records documenting trade and service period
  • 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 Foster Wheeler asbestos product supply records, feedwater heater trust fund documentation, personal worker testimony, and the New York City asbestos litigation record identifying Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock as a Kearny, NJ asbestos exposure venue. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.