Galveston Docks

Galveston Docks and the Port of Galveston have served the upper Gulf Coast in Texas for more than a century. For several decades, shipyard workers there were exposed to dangerous substances that included lead, PCBs and asbestos, a mineral that shipbuilding and construction companies used extensively until the 1980s.

In 1934, the Todd Pacific Shipyards Corporation opened a tanker repair facility on the Galveston Docks at Pelican Island. During World War II, the Galveston Docks expanded to meet the increasing needs of the U.S. Navy. After the war, the docks continued to grow with higher demands for shipbuilding. refitting and import/export facilities.

During those decades of growth, thousands of shipyard workers were exposed to asbestos while working on boilers, gaskets, insulation and other vital components of naval and civilian vessels under construction.

Shipyards across the United States represent jobsites linked with excessive asbestos exposure. To understand the hazards of asbestos and what that can mean for former shipyard workers, obtain your free copy of the Mesothelioma Center's informational packet. The packet goes over exposure sites across the country and what can happen if someone comes into contact with asbestos. Fill out this form for to have a packet sent to you overnight.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits and Galveston Docks

After years of being of exposed to asbestos while working at Galveston Docks, workers developed mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases. It was only a matter of time before workers filed claims for restitution.

One of the earliest cases occurred in 1984 when shipyard worker Guiseppe Castorina filed a lawsuit against Lykes Brothers Steamship Company "for injuries sustained as a result of exposure to asbestos." Castorina worked at the Galveston Docks from 1955 to 1984. The suit alleged that from 1965 to 1972, Castorina handled burlap bags that contained raw asbestos.

In 1979, a doctor diagnosed Castorina with asbestosis, a respiratory disorder related to asbestos exposure. The court dismissed Castorina's claims because he could not show his injury occurred until after a 1972 maritime law revision went into effect.

A 2009 case alleges a Galveston maritime worker contracted mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer found in workers exposed to asbestos. Laura Bodin sued a number of companies that employed her late father, Pedro Perez, during the 1960s. The lawsuit claims Perez developed the disease while handling asbestos-containing products and that the companies used improper procedures to manufacture, transport and install the asbestos. 

Another case filed in 2009 claimed that a laborer at the Todd Pacific Shipyards facility in Galveston contracted asbestos-related breathing problems. According to the original claim, laborer Jesse Frederick Cruz "was required to handle products containing asbestos and was exposed to other asbestos products present in the workplace." Cruz died in 2002 at 56. His relative, Mary Ann Sparkman, claimed that the company and other defendants did not follow federal regulations regarding the safe handling of asbestos.

As workers and their families deal with the consequences of asbestos exposure, more of these claims will arise. Current and former Galveston Docks workers and their relatives will seek legal remedies for the decades of asbestos exposure for medical and funeral expenses, as well as punitive damages and pain and suffering.

Hurricane Ike and Asbestos

The Galveston Docks and other parts of the city felt the devastation from Hurricane Ike in 2008. The storm damaged many of the shipbuilding facilities and left debris strewn across the port. Asbestos was among the debris.

Federal and state regulations require that workers take precautions in disposing of asbestos-containing materials. Crews with special training and safety equipment had to move into the area and employ strict guidelines in containing, transporting and disposing of asbestos-laced debris.

If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos related illness, experts suggest you be examined by a mesothelioma specialist. The Mesothelioma Center's free Doctor Match Program is designed to match up people with mesothelioma with doctors who understand how to treat it. Fill out this form to begin the process of getting examined by a specialist.