Monsanto is a chemical company that’s been named as a defendant in many toxic injury lawsuits. It never manufactured products that contained asbestos, but the company made extensive use of the carcinogenic material in its plants to insulate high-heat operations and in other applications. When these materials became worn or damaged, they released deadly fibers into
The USS Baltimore (SSN-704) was a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine that was part of the formidable Los Angeles class fleet. While the vessel boasted cutting-edge technology, crew members who served aboard faced significant health risks from substantial quantities of asbestos used in building it. This exposed personnel to the potential for being diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer,
Mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases continue to be urgent public health concerns in Libby, Montana, where the Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD) has provided essential clinical services since 2002. In June 2025, renowned physicians, scientists, and asbestos experts gathered in Libby for a screening, outreach, and education retreat. While there, they reaffirmed the critical
The USS Balao (SS-285) was the lead vessel of the renowned Balao-class submarine fleet created for World War II and that served throughout the Cold War era. The class and the vessel itself were remarkably effective, but their legacy was marred by the widespread presence of asbestos within its structure and systems that endangered the health of thousands of
The USS Atule (SS-403) was a Balao-class submarine that earned four battle stars for her service during World War II combat operations. Known as “O’Toole” by her crew, the vessel then served the Navy through the Cold War before being decommissioned in 1970. Unfortunately, her military achievements were counterbalanced by the ship having exposed hundreds
The USS Argonaut (SS-475) was a Balao-class submarine that operated in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1968. Like most of the Navy fleet ordered before and during World War II and beyond, the vessel was built with extensive amounts of asbestos and equipped with asbestos-containing equipment. Exposure to that carcinogenic material put hundreds of Navy
The USS Alexander Hamilton (SSBN-617) was a Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine that operated from 1963 to 1993. While she boasted cutting-edge technology that defended America for three decades, the extensive incorporation of asbestos materials throughout her construction posed severe health hazards for the estimated 2,800 sailors who served aboard. These veterans now face increased risk of developing mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung
The USS Fiske (DD-842) was a Gearing-class destroyer that served the U.S. Navy from the end of World War II until its final decommissioning in 1980. The vessel contained significant amounts of asbestos-containing materials, which exposed countless naval personnel who sailed on her to the toxic, carcinogenic material. Crew members who worked aboard the vessel, as well as
The USS Von Steuben (SSBN-632) was part of America’s submarine-launched ballistic missile fleet, which served over three decades of Cold War tensions. From 1964 to 1994, this nuclear submarine played a vital role, maintaining strategic deterrence as part of the Navy’s “41 for Freedom” program. Like all vessels of her era, the Von Steuben’s construction made use
The FDA’s recent approval of subcutaneous pembrolizumab (Keytruda Qlex) for solid tumors means that mesothelioma patients will have a more convenient treatment option available to them. Subcutaneous treatments can be administered quickly under the skin rather than through time-consuming intravenous infusions. The approval covers all types of solid tumor cancers for which intravenous pembrolizumab has