Family of Navy Shipyard Worker Who Died of Mesothelioma Awarded $1.2 Million

Relatives of a Virginia man who died of mesothelioma after working for two decades in a U.S. Navy shipyard have been awarded $1.2 million by a jury.

Gerald Gray of Suffolk County, Va. died in April 2009 at age 75 after developing the aggressive form of lung cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos, the toxic material that was widely used in insulation and countless other products. Gray’s family filed a lawsuit against five companies that manufactured or supplied products containing asbestos which caused his cancer.

In the suit, Gray’s family claimed the companies knew about problems with asbestos before the workers were exposed, but took no action to protect them.

On Monday, a jury in Newport News, Va. ordered one of the manufacturers, Illinois-based John Crane Inc., to pay $1.2 million in damages to Gray’s wife, daughter, and two sons. Four other defendants named in the suit previously settled out of court. Jurors found that Crane was 30 percent responsible for Gray’s death.

Distinguished Navy Career

Gray was once the second-highest-ranking enlisted man in the Navy and battled mesothelioma for 16 months before his death. A native of Texas, Gray enlisted in the Navy in 1951 and became the command master chief for the Atlantic fleet, officials said.

He worked on many ship-repair projects over 20 years, including an overhaul of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the 1960s. During the course of his work, Gray was exposed to asbestos in the insulation of the ship’s engine room and other areas of the vessel.

After his retirement from the Navy, Gray became a school teacher in Chesapeake. He was diagnosed in February 2008, nearly 37 years after he left the Navy. It is not unusual for mesothelioma symptoms to remain undetected for many years, even decades, after the patient is first exposed to asbestos.

John Crane Inc. reportedly is considering an appeal of the jury award.

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