Gerald Gray died in April of 2009 from mesothelioma. He contracted the disease after inhaling asbestos fibers on naval ships for many years. His family has recently been awarded over $1 million in damages.Gray joined the Navy in 1951 and served for 20 years until he retired in 1971. During those 20 years, he worked on many ships and rose to command master chief for the Atlantic fleet, which is the second highest enlisted rank in the Navy.
Asbestos was used extensively on submarines and ships on parts such as gaskets, seals, pumps, and other boiler room applications. Asbestos was found to have extreme ability to resist heat, fire, salt water, and other biological processes. Not only was it used by the military on vessels, but also in shore-based buildings like barracks and offices. Many veterans who served between World War II and into the 1980s have contracted mesothelioma from the exposure to so much asbestos.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that very difficult to diagnose. It often takes 20 years or longer for mesothelioma cancer symptoms to appear and by then, it is too late for successful treatment. This is the heart break of asbestos exposure.
Four of the five initial defendants settled out of court. But the jury was not told of the out-of-court settlements and was allowed to assign a percentage of blame to each of the parties. John Crane Inc., which manufactures gaskets and other parts used on the vessels, was assigned 30 percent of the blame, which totaled about $1.2 million.
