Foster Wheeler Corporation & Asbestos Exposure

Foster Wheeler Corporation & History of Asbestos Usage

Formed in 1927 through the merger of Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company and Power Specialty Company, Foster Wheeler began 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 increasing asbestos injury 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.

Today, Foster Wheeler has operations in 60 countries and makes billions in revenue annually.

Dangers of Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos was widely used as a cheap manufacturing solution in many industries due to its tensile strength and heat, fire, and chemical resistance. 

The asbestos family consists of six minerals, all of which naturally break into thin, strong fibers when disturbed. These fibers can easily become airborne, and when inhaled or ingested, they lodge in tissues, causing irritation, inflammation, scarring, and DNA changes that can lead to serious health issues.

Asbestos-related diseases include:

• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Asbestosis 
• Other cancer
• Pleural effusions
• Pleural plaques
• Pleural thickening

Foster Wheeler employees and end users of the company’s products are at significant risk of asbestos-related illness.

Many Foster Wheeler products were required to be heat-resistant, and asbestos was the chosen solution, either because it was cheaper than alternatives or because institutions like the U.S. Navy mandated its use.

Foster Wheeler & Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer with a five-year survival rate of just 5% to 10%. It forms in the mesothelium, which is the thin lining surrounding various organs. Mesothelioma most often presents in the lungs and abdomen but can also occur in the heart and testes. 

Naval staff, insulators, and factory workers are considered high-risk occupations for mesothelioma. These professions likely came in close contact with toxic asbestos fibers through Foster Wheeler’s products or activities.

Financial Compensation From the Foster Wheeler Corp. 

The Foster Wheeler Corporation has never gone bankrupt and does not operate an asbestos trust fund. Instead, it handles all claims through the legal system, often settling claims out of court for undisclosed sums.

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.

Foster Wheeler’s wide range of operations connected them to other asbestos manufacturers. If a connection can be established showing that multiple companies contributed to the exposure, victims may be able to recover compensation from those companies as well.

Additionally, victims may be eligible for other forms of compensation, such as benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or workers’ compensation. An experienced asbestos attorney can help you navigate these options and ensure you pursue the maximum compensation available.

Asbestos Lawsuits Against the Foster Wheeler Corporation

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 one report, Foster Wheeler anticipates facing mesothelioma cases until 2050 and has set aside hundreds of millions of dollars to prepare for litigation and compensation payouts.

Foster Wheeler Asbestos-Containing Products

Over nearly a century of operations, Foster Wheeler manufactured a wide variety of asbestos-containing products. In addition to producing its own asbestos products, the company also purchased asbestos components like gaskets, pipe covering, and packing material 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 were used by the U.S. Navy.

Foster Wheeler asbestos products include:

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

Occupations at Risk From Foster Wheeler Products

Due to the wide-ranging nature of Foster Wheeler’s business activities, many occupations were at risk of asbestos exposure. 

Several Foster Wheeler products, such as boilers, steam generators, and other components, needed to withstand extreme heat. Asbestos was commonly used in these products, putting Foster Wheeler’s factory employees and end users at significant risk of asbestos exposure. 

Foster Wheeler was also instrumental in supplying the U.S. Navy and other armed forces before and during World War II. The Navy specified that asbestos be used in their products due to its heat-resistant and fireproof properties, but this put naval workers, military personnel, shipyard workers, and others at risk of mesothelioma.

Other at-risk professions include:

• Boiler technicians
• Engineers
• Furnace operators
• Millwrights
• Machinists
• Shipwrights
• Welders

Dangers of Secondhand Exposure

Foster Wheeler employees’ families and loved ones were at risk of secondary asbestos exposure.

Secondary exposure often occurred when workers returned home with asbestos fibers on their clothing. When the clothing was handled, such as during laundering, the fibers would become airborne and could be inhaled by others in the household.

Get Help Today 

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 team provides free resources and tools to help maximize your potential compensation.

If you’ve been harmed and are ready to explore your options, contact Meirowitz & Wasserberg today for a free case assessment.

Written & Legally Reviewed By

Samuel Meirowitz

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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