Foster Wheeler

Foster Wheeler supplied products for engineering, power, and power management companies. The company used asbestos in construction and boiler components and later faced lawsuits over related illnesses, like mesothelioma and lung cancer.

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Foster Wheeler History

Foster Wheeler was established in 1927, but the company dates back to 1884 when the Foster family founded a company known as the Water Works Supply Company, based out of the U.S Shortly after, the name changed to Power Specialty Company.

It wasn’t until the Power Specialty Company merged with Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company that it became Foster Wheeler. The merge tied Foster Wheeler directly to asbestos, as the companies it merged with had a long history of using the deadly set of minerals in numerous products.

For example, Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company, which supplied heat exchangers, pumps, and steam condensers to the military, used asbestos in most of its products.

When Foster Wheeler was under the name Power Specialty Company, it manufactured asbestos-containing boiler components and heaters for the military during World War I.

Once the companies merged, the relationship with the military continued, and Foster Wheeler began providing heaters, cooling equipment, and steam generators. The company expanded greatly afterward, opening offices in several other countries.

Over the next several decades, Foster Wheeler continued to grow and even tried its hand in the oil industry. However, when the oil boom declined, the company created Foster Wheeler Environmental Services, Inc. and Foster Wheeler Power Systems, Inc.

The company then expanded into Asia and Europe, taking on boiler contracts for China. Soon after, Foster Wheeler opened a plant in the Philippines.

Foster Wheeler placed people at risk of life-threatening diseases by using asbestos in its products despite its growth and success. Consequently, the company started facing a myriad of asbestos-related lawsuits.

Foster Wheeler Lawsuits

Although Foster Wheeler faced numerous asbestos-related lawsuits, the following is one of the more prominent claims. It’s a prime example of what Foster Wheeler faced as employees and contractors came forward after developing fatal illnesses.

Alfred Todak

In 2002, Alfred Todak, 60, a former Navy electrician, won one of the largest verdicts ever in a California asbestos case after proving the company’s negligence caused his battle with pleural mesothelioma.

Per court documents, during a five-week trial, Todak’s mesothelioma attorney showed that Todak’s occupational exposure to asbestos occurred while he worked at Seattle’s Bethlehem Steel Mill and the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company, also in Seattle.

His work around Foster Wheeler’s boilers, in particular, is what contributed to Tudok’s mesothelioma diagnosis. From 1965 until 1972, Tudok’s employment with both companies constantly exposed him to asbestos fibers.

Under California’s consumer safety laws, a San Francisco county jury found Foster Wheeler’s type–D marine boilers defective because the company failed to warn others of the dangers associated with the product.

Further, the jury also found Foster Wheeler at fault for the negligent supply, manufacture, and design of its boilers.

Today, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers successfully won his lawsuit against Foster Wheeler, as well as against numerous other manufacturers.

His verdict amount included $22.7 million in damages. His wife, Stephanie Todak, won $11 million for the loss of consortium.

Foster Wheeler was found liable for 30% of the total verdict, equaling $10 million, while other companies were responsible for the remaining damages.

“We are gratified to have the jury acknowledge the substantial effect of this terrible disease on a very deserving man and wife, and that Foster Wheeler failed to demonstrate a colorable government contractor affirmative defense,” said Todak’s attorney. “Juries have a keen ability to sort out right from wrong.”

Occupations Affected by Foster Wheeler

Since Foster Wheeler sent much of its supply to the armed forces, military personnel have been affected the most. Therefore, most asbestos-related claims come from those who served in the military or worked on military ships and tanks. 

Occupations in the military, including contractor roles, that were affected by Foster Wheeler include:

• Pipe fitters
• Boiler makers
• Shipyard workers
• Mechanics
• Electricians
• Electrical plant helpers

Foster Wheeler’s Asbestos-containing Products

Not all of Foster Wheeler’s products contained asbestos, but the ones that did cause an influx of life-threatening illnesses. The following Foster Wheeler products were confirmed to contain asbestos:

• Boilers
• Gaskets
• Valves
• Seals
• Pumps
• Heaters
• Steam generators
• Refractory block insulation
• Pumps

Foster Wheeler Today

In 2001 Foster Wheeler faced bankruptcy due to the overwhelming amount of lawsuits it faced. However, the company slowly recovered and, in 2009, built a biomass-only power plant in Poland, marking it the world’s largest power plant of its kind.

The company also relocated its headquarters from the United States to Geneva, Switzerland, resulting in most company sales coming from overseas business. In 2014, Amec plc and Foster Wheeler merged. The resulting company merged with Wood Group in 2017.

You have legal options if you suffered asbestos exposure through Foster Wheeler products. An asbestos attorney can explain them and help you seek compensation.

Additional Resources and Information for Asbestos Victims

Remember, if you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may qualify for significant compensation. Remember to fill out our form to get your free Financial Compensation Packet, with information on asbestos and mesothelioma lawyers in your area.