Foster Wheeler

Highest-Risk Occupations

Foster Wheeler’s products, such as boilers, steam generators, and other components, needed to withstand extreme heat.

The asbestos used in these products put Foster Wheeler’s employees and end users at significant risk of asbestos exposure. The company’s wide-ranging business activities exposed people in many occupations.  

Who is At Highest Risk for Exposure?

Any contact with asbestos can be dangerous, but people with consistent occupational exposure face the highest risks for developing a serious illness like mesothelioma or lung cancer. 

Boilermakers

Boilermakers and technicians who installed, repaired, and maintained Foster Wheeler products were often exposed to significant amounts of asbestos.

Asbestos products shed fibers when they’re disturbed or damaged, so activities like cutting and replacing gaskets or insulation create serious inhalation risks. 

Shipyard Workers

Asbestos’s heat- and fire-resistant properties made it a popular choice for shipboard equipment.

Foster Wheeler’s marine boiler systems were no exception, often exposing those responsible for constructing or overhauling vessels to serious risks for asbestos-related illnesses decades after exposure occurred. 

U.S. Navy Veterans 

Foster Wheeler was instrumental in supplying the U.S. Navy and other armed forces before and during World War II.

The Navy specified that asbestos should be used in many shipboard components because of its resistance to heat and fire, but this put naval service members at high risk of illness. Veterans account for 30% of all new mesothelioma cases diagnosed each year. 

Family Members Exposed Secondhand

The families and loved ones of Foster Wheeler employees were at risk of secondary asbestos exposure. Contact with asbestos during normal activities, such as laundering work clothes, can cause illness decades later.

Secondary exposure victims may be able to file personal injury lawsuits. Surviving dependents may also qualify for compensation through wrongful death lawsuits.

Foster Wheeler Asbestos Products

For roughly 40 years, from the 1930s until the 1970s, Foster Wheeler manufactured a wide variety of asbestos-containing products. In addition to producing its own asbestos products, the company also purchased asbestos components, such as gaskets, pipe coverings, and packing materials, from other manufacturers.

Aside from a brief foray into producing asbestos-contaminated bonding agents, the bulk of Foster Wheeler’s asbestos liability stems from its production of boilers and condensers, many of which it sold to the U.S. Navy.

Top Asbestos-Containing Products

• Boiler components
• Gaskets
• Insulation
• Insulating cement
• Marine boilers
• Steam generators
• Steam drums
• Valves

Securing Compensation From Foster Wheeler

The medical community began publicizing the negative health impact of asbestos exposure as early as the 1930s, but Foster Wheeler continued using asbestos in its products until the 1970s.

If you or a loved one worked for Foster Wheeler or with its asbestos-containing products and developed an asbestos-related disease, you may be entitled to legal compensation.

Many claimants with occupational exposure from Foster Wheeler also qualify for compensation from other asbestos manufacturers or trust funds.

Depending on the details of your claim, you may also be eligible for other forms of support, such as VA benefits or workers’ compensation.  We can help you determine if you are eligible for free.

Asbestos lawsuits help hold negligent manufacturers like Foster Wheeler accountable for the harm they’ve done. Filing one does not require you to sue the U.S. government or military and will not affect any current VA benefits or prevent you from applying for VA benefits.

– Daniel Wasserberg, Attorney

Filing a Lawsuit

The Foster Wheeler Corporation has never gone bankrupt and does not operate an asbestos trust fund. Instead, it handles all claims through the civil court system.

Victims of Foster Wheeler asbestos exposure can pursue compensation by filing one of two main types of lawsuits:

• Personal injury lawsuit: Living victims of asbestos exposure can seek compensation for the losses they have suffered due to asbestos-related illness.
• Wrongful death lawsuit: The family members of deceased asbestos exposure victims may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages for the loss of their loved one.

Asbestos claims rarely go to trial. Most end in out-of-court settlements, negotiated agreements between the claimant and the defendant that typically include monetary compensation.

Settlements offer victims a way to get compensation quickly, without the stress of a trial or the risk that the defendant will appeal a verdict.

Key Requirements to File

• Diagnosis: Claimants must have a diagnosis of an asbestos-related illness (such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis) OR proof of a wrongful death from an asbestos-related illness. 
• Proof of exposure: Documentation linking the victim’s illness to asbestos exposure from Foster Wheeler. through employment or use of their products. 
• Statute of limitations: Potential claimants have a limited time to file a claim. Deadlines vary by state, with most averaging just 2 to 3 years, so it’s critical to move quickly.

Notable Lawsuits Against Foster Wheeler

Since the 1970s, Foster Wheeler has been defending against asbestos claims filed by former employees who allege that their work environment contributed to their asbestos-related diagnoses.

According to the 2025 annual report of its former parent company, John Wood Group plc, the company’s total asbestos liabilities for the year were $328.9 million, including net asbestos-related payments of $39.9 million. Although it resolved 6,770 claims during the year, it still had 49,530 pending at year-end.  

Despite the company’s habit of settling claims out of court for undisclosed sums, several claimants have won significant compensation at trial. 

If you or a member of your family has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease due to Foster Wheeler’s products, we can help you explore your options.

Foster Wheeler’s Involvement With Asbestos

Formed in 1927 through the merger of Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company and Power Specialty Company, Foster Wheeler began as a manufacturer of power heaters, pumps, condensers, and boilers. 

Foster Wheeler’s parent companies had preexisting relationships with the U.S. military. The Navy was one of Foster Wheeler’s most prominent clients from its earliest days. This partnership allowed the company to grow rapidly, expanding its product line to include feedwater heaters, cooling towers, evaporators, and steam generators. 

Foster Wheeler began using asbestos components in the mid-1930s. Asbestos use was widely sanctioned due to its value as a heat- and fire-resistant insulator, although early research already suggested it was dangerous. 

The company continued to use asbestos in its products throughout the 1970s, despite facing an increasing number of asbestos-related lawsuits. Over time, it expanded into various sectors, including construction, engineering, power systems, and energy equipment. In the 1990s, the company even acquired an asbestos abatement company.

John Wood Group plc acquired Amec Foster Wheeler in 2017. On March 11, 2026, Sidara completed a £240 million takeover of Wood Group, and its shares were delisted from the London Stock Exchange. 

Contact Us For a Free Case Assessment

Victims of asbestos exposure often face severe physical, emotional, and financial burdens stemming from their diagnosis. For individuals exposed to asbestos by companies without a trust fund, such as Foster Wheeler, filing a lawsuit may be their only option for seeking compensation.

If you or a loved one has been affected by Foster Wheeler’s asbestos activities or products, you don’t have to face this challenge alone. The experienced asbestos attorneys at Meirowitz & Wasserberg are here to help you pursue compensation and justice.

With decades of combined experience, our partner law firm provides free resources and tools to help maximize your potential compensation.

If you’re ready to start the filing process, we can help you determine your eligibility and learn more about your case for free. Reach out now to get your complimentary case evaluation.

Written & Legally Reviewed By

Samuel Meirowitz Esq. Attorney and On-Site Legal Advocate

Samuel Meirowitz is a member of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers.” Mr. Meirowitz was named a “Rising Star” in 2013 & 2014 by Super Lawyers and then a Super Lawyer every year since 2016. In 2013, Mr. Meirowitz obtained what is believed to be the first multi-million-dollar asbestos verdict seen in more than two decades in a New York federal court. In that highly contentious matter, Mr. Meirowitz was able to convince the jury to hold a boiler manufacturer responsible for 60 percent of the $3.8 million awarded, despite the defendant’s attempt to escape all blame by pointing fingers at the plaintiff’s employer and the U.S. Navy (in which the plaintiff admirably served from 1966-70 during the Vietnam conflict). This verdict was upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

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