Foster Wheeler

Overview of Foster Wheeler Asbestos Compensation

Foster Wheeler used asbestos in many products, exposing hundreds of thousands of workers, some of whom developed asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer. With the help of experienced mesothelioma lawyers, thousands of these workers and their families have been able to get compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Foster Wheeler Key Information

• Foster Wheeler has faced more than 300,000 asbestos claims and paid at least $700 million to impacted workers.
• According to financial records, over 160,000 asbestos lawsuits against Foster Wheeler were still pending in 2006, and thousands more have been filed since then.
• A company that Foster Wheeler acquired in 1973, Forty-Eight Insulations Company, declared bankruptcy in 1985 and paid out $37.5 million to settle its existing asbestos claims.
• In 2016, Foster Wheeler had set aside more than $440 million for future asbestos claims, some covered by the company’s insurance.

Foster Wheeler hasn’t declared bankruptcy or established an asbestos trust fund, so patients must file mesothelioma claims through the court. Former workers exposed to asbestos from the company’s product file many of the asbestos cases against Foster Wheeler.

Legal Help for People Exposed to Foster Wheeler Asbestos Products

If you were exposed to Foster Wheeler’s asbestos products, you have legal avenues to seek compensation. An experienced mesothelioma attorney can manage the process for you.

The support of a law firm that specializes in asbestos can make a major difference. Foster Wheeler has frequently tried to have cases dismissed. For example, in Long v. Foster Wheeler and 3M Company, the boiler manufacturer argued Richard Long should have filed in federal court because he served in the U.S. Navy. The family’s lawyers convinced the appeals judges that Foster Wheeler was incorrect, allowing the trial to move forward.

Patient Advocates can help you find the right lawyer for you and your family. They’ll match you with a knowledgeable legal expert with a record of success in cases like yours and someone you and your family will feel comfortable working with. Your Patient Advocate will also provide valuable support in finding top doctors, scheduling medical appointments, accessing free resources, joining support groups and pursuing all available financial assistance.

Mesothelioma Lawsuits Involving Foster Wheeler

Judges and juries in many states have consistently sided with mesothelioma patients and family members in mesothelioma lawsuits involving Foster Wheeler products. Asbestos law firms have also negotiated settlements with Foster Wheeler on behalf of their clients.

Notable Foster Wheeler Mesothelioma Lawsuits

• $33.7 million: A San Francisco jury awarded naval electrician Alfred Todak $22.7 million in 2002 after he developed pleural mesothelioma from working around Foster Wheeler marine boilers in the U.S. Navy. The verdict included compensation for economic damages, pain, suffering and lost income. His wife received an additional $11 million for non-economic damages. This case remains one of the largest asbestos verdicts in California history.
• $3.8 million: A jury in Pennsylvania awarded boilermaker Harry Chirdon this amount in a mesothelioma lawsuit against Foster Wheeler in 2024. During his time working for the company, Chirdon faced repeated exposure to asbestos. Evidence at the trial showed Foster Wheeler knowingly put its employees at risk.
• $2.25 million: A Louisiana appeals court sided with Lynda Berry in 2019. Berry, who had developed mesothelioma, had sued Foster Wheeler and other manufacturers for supplying asbestos products to the paper mill where her husband worked. Berry was exposed to the toxic material when she washed her husband’s contaminated work clothes.
• $1.25 million: Betty McBride filed suit in 2009 against Foster Wheeler and 2 Florida power plants. McBride’s husband, Woodrow, was exposed to asbestos from Foster Wheel products for decades at the power plants, and he died of lung cancer in 2005. The jury awarded $1 million and ordered Foster Wheeler to pay $250,000 in damages.

Foster Wheeler’s asbestos litigation continues to produce significant legal precedents. In 2018, an appeals court ruled in favor of Geraldine Hilt, the wife of shipyard worker Robert Hilt, after the family’s lawyers presented evidence that Hilt worked around new Foster Wheeler boilers. This ruling established that Foster Wheeler could be held responsible for asbestos-containing parts in its equipment, reinforcing the company’s ongoing liability for worker exposure.

Foster Wheeler’s Connection to Asbestos

Foster Wheeler manufactured and distributed asbestos-containing products for the engineering, shipbuilding, power generation and construction industries. Workers in many military and industrial occupations were at risk of exposure to asbestos in the company’s products.

Foster Wheeler was formed in 1927. Early on, the company provided project management, construction and design services for oil refineries and petrochemical plants. It also manufactured boilers for ships and coal-fired power plants.

Foster Wheeler was close to declaring bankruptcy in 2001. British engineering company AMEC acquired the company in 2014, forming Amec Foster Wheeler. In 2016, the organization still faced more than 80,000 asbestos claims. John Wood Group now owns Amec Foster Wheeler.

Foster Wheeler Asbestos Products

Many of Foster Wheeler’s products were designed for high-temperature operations. To prevent overheating and minimize fire risks, these components contained varying percentages of asbestos. Until the 1980s, Foster Wheeler supplied asbestos-containing steam condensers, pumps, heat exchangers, superheaters and boiler components.

Common Foster Wheeler Products That Used Asbestos

• Gaskets and seals
• Marine boilers and boiler parts
• Pumps
• Refractory block insulation
• Roving with asbestos fibers
• Steam generators
• Steel shipping drums
• Valves

The U.S. Navy used the company’s asbestos-containing marine boilers and boiler parts extensively. In accordance with Navy specifications, Foster Wheeler products at the time contained large amounts of asbestos. When installing or replacing boiler components, maintenance workers faced asbestos exposure from gaskets, insulation and refractory materials.

Who Was at Risk of Asbestos Exposure From Foster Wheeler Products?

Foster Wheeler’s marine-grade asbestos products exposed many veterans of the U.S. armed forces, especially members of the U.S. Navy and Merchant Marine. Military personnel make up a large percentage of the asbestos personal injury claims against the company.

Navy veterans exposed to asbestos-contaminated Foster Wheeler products include shipyard workers, boiler workers, pipefitters and steamfitters. It can take many decades for personnel to develop mesothelioma from asbestos exposure, often after service members retire. According to a 2021 European Commission study, more than 70,000 workers died from past exposure to asbestos in a single year.

Foster Wheeler Occupations at Risk

• Boiler workers
• Electricians
• Factory workers
• Foster Wheeler manufacturing plant workers
• Insulators
• Pipefitters
• Plant operators
• U.S. veterans of the armed forces

The International Journal of Radiation Biology published a study of mesothelioma among 114,000 U.S. veterans in 2019. The study found U.S. Navy personnel, including boiler technicians, pipefitters and machinist’s mates, were 6 times more likely to die from mesothelioma than members of other armed forces branches.

Foster Wheeler employees at its manufacturing plants were also at risk of dangerous asbestos exposure. These workers regularly handled asbestos-containing materials and parts.

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