National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO), located in San Diego, California, is the largest shipbuilding facility on the West Coast and one of the primary Navy contract shipbuilders in the United States. NASSCO has built fleet oilers, ammunition ships, combat stores ships, and large deck amphibious vessels for the U.S. Navy since the 1960s, employing thousands of San Diego workers across all shipbuilding trades. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document NASSCO with a formal asbestos medical screening program, named asbestos product deliveries to the yard, and formal contract-level documentation — establishing NASSCO as a thoroughly documented asbestos exposure venue in the national Navy contractor shipyard litigation record.

Who Was Exposed at NASSCO

Workers at National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego in the following capacities may have asbestos exposure claims:

  • Insulation workers who installed asbestos pipe lagging and boiler insulation in new vessel construction
  • Pipefitters and Boilermakers who worked in asbestos-insulated engineering spaces during construction
  • Shipfitters and Structural workers in enclosed hull spaces during active asbestos installation
  • All trades workers who spent extended time in engineering spaces of NASSCO-built vessels during construction
  • Navy Supship San Diego and pre-commissioning crew present during active asbestos installation

VA Claims and Legal Options — NASSCO San Diego CA Workers

Veterans who served as Supship or pre-commissioning crew at NASSCO, and civilian workers who built Navy ships at the San Diego yard, 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 NASSCO workers
  • Civil claims against manufacturers of asbestos-containing products delivered to NASSCO under named contracts

Key documents for a NASSCO claim:

  • Employment records — NASSCO employment records documenting trade, department, and service dates
  • DD-214 or orders — documenting Navy Supship or PCU assignment at San Diego
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including the formal NASSCO asbestos screening program, named asbestos product delivery records, contract documentation, and the national asbestos MDL docket identifying National Steel and Shipbuilding Company as a primary West Coast asbestos exposure venue. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.