Virginia Mesothelioma by the Numbers: A Shipyard-State Profile
Virginia mesothelioma statistics: 82 annual cases, 135 deaths, and exposure concentrated in Newport News and Norfolk Naval shipyards.
Virginia’s mesothelioma profile is a shipyard story. The commonwealth’s 0.7 per 100,000 age-adjusted rate sits above the national average of 0.6, and the industries driving that number are concentrated in a single region: the Hampton Roads corridor running from Newport News through Norfolk and Portsmouth. Two of the oldest and largest shipyards in the United States sit inside that corridor, and their asbestos history reaches back more than a century.
The CDC records Virginia mesothelioma deaths separately each year through the National Center for Health Statistics and the CDC WONDER database. The MesoWatch state dataset, compiled from CDC United States Cancer Statistics and CDC WONDER mortality reports, places annual Virginia incidence at 82 diagnoses and annual mortality at 135. Asbestos-related deaths exceed mesothelioma deaths alone because the disease tally includes lung cancer, asbestosis, and other conditions tied to fiber exposure.
State Rankings
For a full comparison of all 50 states, see our mesothelioma rates by state rankings.
| Metric | Virginia | National |
|---|---|---|
| Mesothelioma rate (per 100K, age-adjusted) | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Annual new diagnoses | ~82 | ~3,000 |
| Annual deaths | ~135 | ~2,400 |
| Primary exposure industries | Shipyards, military bases | Construction, industry, shipyards |
| Statute of limitations (PI) | 2 years from diagnosis | Varies by state |
Where Exposure Happened
Virginia’s asbestos burden traces primarily to naval and commercial shipbuilding, with secondary exposure across military bases, power plants, and pre-1980 construction.
Newport News Shipbuilding
Newport News Shipbuilding was founded in 1886 by Collis P. Huntington as the Chesapeake Dry Dock and Construction Company. It is now a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest military shipbuilder in the United States, with more than 25,000 workers at the Newport News yard and 44,000 across the company. The yard has built aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and cruisers for the Navy for over a century. Those vessels used asbestos in pipe insulation, boiler lagging, gaskets, and fireproofing for decades.
Workers in enclosed below-deck compartments faced particularly concentrated exposure. Shipfitters, pipefitters, insulators, boilermakers, welders, and machinists were among the most exposed trades. The same exposure profile extended to the Philadelphia Navy Yard in Pennsylvania, the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, and the Jacksonville naval shipyards in Florida.
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
Norfolk Naval Shipyard, located in Portsmouth, Virginia, was established in 1767 as the Gosport Shipyard. It is the oldest U.S. Navy shipyard still in operation. During World War II and through the postwar decades, the yard employed tens of thousands of civilian workers repairing and overhauling Navy vessels. Gaskets, packing, valve insulation, and pipe covering containing asbestos were standard equipment during that era.
The 2016 Virginia case of retired Norfolk Naval Shipyard machinist George Parker, who received a $6.45 million Newport News Circuit Court verdict against John Crane Inc. over asbestos-containing gaskets, traced exposure to products installed in the 1960s and 1970s. A federal jury in Arizona that same year awarded $17 million to the estate of George Coulbourn, another Norfolk Naval Shipyard civilian machinist. Both cases are covered in our Virginia verdicts and settlements coverage.
Take-Home Exposure and Family Members
Virginia’s shipyard history also produced a defining legal ruling on secondary exposure. In 2018, the Virginia Supreme Court held in Quisenberry v. Huntington Ingalls that shipyard employers owe a duty of care to family members who handled workers’ contaminated clothing. The ruling is significant because mesothelioma can develop decades after inhaling asbestos fibers carried home on clothes, tools, and skin. See our full coverage of the Quisenberry precedent for the court’s reasoning and its reach.
Who Is Most at Risk
- Shipyard workers at Newport News Shipbuilding and Norfolk Naval Shipyard
- Navy veterans who served on vessels built or overhauled at Virginia yards
- Pipefitters, insulators, and boilermakers in industrial and commercial construction
- Family members of shipyard and Navy workers exposed through contaminated clothing
- Construction tradespeople working in pre-1980 buildings
- Maintenance crews at military bases, power plants, and manufacturing plants
The pipefitter occupation page describes why this trade carried one of the highest asbestos exposure rates in both civilian and naval construction.
Virginia has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, running from the date of diagnosis. Wrongful death claims must also be filed within two years. Early legal consultation is particularly important for shipyard workers because tracing exposure across multiple decades, vessels, and product manufacturers takes time.
Legal Options for Virginia Workers
For an overview of current treatment options, see the 2026 mesothelioma treatment landscape.
Virginia asbestos trust fund claims are particularly relevant for shipyard workers and Navy veterans. A single vessel contained products from dozens of manufacturers, many of which established bankruptcy trusts that continue to accept claims. The C.E. Thurston & Sons Asbestos Trust, established in 2006 with $53 million in initial funding, was set up specifically to handle claims from Virginia shipyard workers.
Verdicts and settlements in Virginia reflect the shipyard-heavy exposure profile, including the 2016 Parker and Coulbourn cases tied to Norfolk Naval Shipyard and the earlier Minton litigation at Newport News Shipbuilding.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC USCS Mesothelioma Report.
https://www.cdc.gov/united-states-cancer-statistics/publications/mesothelioma.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC WONDER Mortality Database.
https://wonder.cdc.gov/
National Center for Health Statistics. CDC State Statistics: Virginia.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/states/va.html
Reader Q&A
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Virginia have elevated mesothelioma rates?
Virginia’s Hampton Roads region hosts two of the oldest and largest shipyards in the United States. Newport News Shipbuilding and Norfolk Naval Shipyard employed hundreds of thousands of workers across the twentieth century in environments where asbestos-containing insulation, gaskets, and pipe covering were standard. Those exposures continue to produce diagnoses now, 30 to 50 years later.
What is the statute of limitations for mesothelioma in Virginia?
Virginia has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, starting from the date of mesothelioma diagnosis. Wrongful death claims must also be filed within two years of the date of death.
Can family members of shipyard workers file claims?
Following the 2018 Quisenberry v. Huntington Ingalls ruling, Virginia law recognizes that shipyard employers owe a duty of care to family members exposed to asbestos on workers’ contaminated clothing. Family members who developed mesothelioma from take-home exposure may have claims.
Are mesothelioma cases still being diagnosed in Virginia?
Yes. Because mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 60 years, people exposed in the 1960s through 1980s are still receiving diagnoses. Virginia’s shipyards used asbestos-containing products throughout that period.
Will I be ok if I breathed in asbestos?
Breathing in asbestos fibers increases the risk of serious diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis, with risks rising based on exposure dose, duration, and factors like smoking. Symptoms often appear 20-40 years after exposure, and no level of exposure is considered completely safe, though short-term or low-level incidents generally carry lower risk than prolonged occupational exposure. Evidence from studies of exposed workers shows most mesotheliomas link to asbestos, but individual outcomes vary widely.
What is the 3 5 7 rule for asbestos sampling?
The 3-5-7 rule, from EPA’s Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) under 40 CFR 763.86, sets minimum bulk samples for friable surfacing materials (like acoustic ceilings or spray-on fireproofing) in homogeneous areas: 3 samples for <1,000 sq ft, 5 for 1,000-5,000 sq ft, and 7 for >5,000 sq ft. Samples must be randomly distributed, with the area deemed asbestos-containing if ≥1% asbestos by weight in any sample. The EPA Pink Book recommends 9 samples per area for higher confidence, though 3-5-7 is the regulatory minimum. This applies to U.S. inspections; other materials like joint compound require separate protocols, often 3 samples. People with mesothelioma often trace exposure to undetected asbestos in such materials.
Will 30 minutes of asbestos exposure hurt you?
No level of asbestos exposure is safe, but 30 minutes of exposure carries a low risk of causing mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases, as risk follows a dose-response relationship tied more to long-term occupational exposure. OSHA notes short exposures as brief as a few days can cause mesothelioma, yet evidence shows one-time or brief incidents like 30 minutes are unlikely to harm unless involving high fiber concentrations, poor ventilation, or amphibole asbestos types. Factors such as visible dust or enclosed spaces elevate potential harm, while intact materials outdoors pose minimal threat. People with any exposure history report details to physicians, as diseases may appear 20-50 years later.