Foster Wheeler

Established in 1927 as the result of a merger between the Power Specialty Company and the Wheeler Condenser & Engineering Company, Foster Wheeler manufactured boilers and other industrial equipment containing asbestos. For several decades, countless workers were exposed to asbestos as a result of Foster Wheeler’s use of the dangerous substance.

The History of Foster Wheeler

After its 1927 founding, Foster Wheeler soon began expanding. During World War II and the decades following, the company played a vital role in the boiler manufacturing process. The 1970s saw substantial restructuring by the company as Foster Wheeler USA handled process plants and Foster Wheeler Energy focused on energy equipment.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the company prospered due to the boom in the oil and utility industries throughout the world. In the early 2000s, Foster Wheeler filed for bankruptcy. Over a decade later, in 2015, Foster Wheeler merged with the John Wood Group.

Foster Wheeler and Asbestos Claims

Foster Wheeler has not established an asbestos trust fund. Additionally, while the company acquired Forty-Eight Insulations Company in 1973 and this subsidiary created an asbestos trust in 1995, this trust is now inactive. Instead of paying out claims through a trust fund, Foster Wheeler pays asbestos claims from its insurance coverage.

Examples of Asbestos Litigation and Foster Wheeler

In the last few decades, thousands of asbestos claims have been brought against Foster Wheeler. Many of these claims were resolved outside of a court of law, but others proceeded to the litigation phase.

• In 2016, a Florida jury awarded $21.4 million in damages to a worker and his wife who argued that Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation and other companies had caused his mesothelioma. The jury determined that the other company was 95% at fault, and that Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation was 5%.
• In 2016, a woman claimed that she was indirectly exposed to asbestos as a result of her husband’s occupation as an electrical worker. Due to this secondhand exposure, the woman argued that she was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma. A jury later determined that Foster Wheeler was liable for the woman’s condition and assessed an award $2.25 million against the company. When Foster Wheeler tried to appeal this decision, the appellate court ultimately affirmed the lower court’s decision.
• In what was believed to be a record at the time, a San Francisco jury in 2002 awarded $33.7 million in a case involving a 60-year-old former electrician at Foster Wheeler who had been diagnosed with a deadly and incurable form of cancer.

Speak With a Knowledgeable Asbestos Exposure Lawyer Today

At the Throneberry Law Group, we understand that asbestos exposure victims are often left to face countless hardships. That is why we focus on fighting for the results that you and your loved ones deserve. Contact our firm today by calling (888) 506-1131 or complete our online form.

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