AFFF, or Aqueous Film Forming Foam, is a type of firefighting foam that has been used for decades by firefighters, including military and civilian units, to suppress fires. AFFF was used in both actual fires and training exercises across multiple organizations. However, many of the chemicals found in AFFF can build up in the body over time and negatively impact overall human health. If you were exposed to these toxic firefighting foam chemicals, you have a substantially increased risk of developing several serious, life-threatening illnesses, including cancer.
If you have already been diagnosed with cancer or another illness after exposure to the toxic chemicals in firefighting foam, you could file an AFFF lawsuit against negligent manufacturers such as Tyco, 3M, Dupont, and others. Our Mass Tort Intake Center group has the resources to handle your AFFF lawsuit. At our group, we want to help Americans who have faced severe illness due to AFFF foam exposure receive the compensation they deserve. Potential firefighting foam exposure victims include airport and military firefighters, as well as local first responders and those living near areas where AFFF foam was used.
By working with an attorney from our group, many victims find that they can substantially increase the compensation they will receive for their injuries and suffering. An attorney can build a solid lawsuit, gather the information you need to prove your claim, and aggressively pursue the monetary compensation you deserve for your physical and emotional suffering related to your diagnosis.
The AFFF litigation is paving the way
The AFFF litigation is paving the way for national PFAS litigation. Forever chemicals, scientifically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have been produced and manufactured in a wide variety of industries since it was first discovered in the 1930s. Litigation and regulatory efforts have been underway for over two decades, arising from the ubiquity and persistence of PFAS and the growing amount of scientific evidence pointing towards PFAS exposure-based health impacts.
On September 27, 2018, a federal judicial panel decided to consolidate these cases by creating Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) 2873 set in the United States District Court of South Carolina. MDL-2873 is comprised of over 1800 cases that have common questions of law and fact involving the use of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) and PFAS contamination. These cases generally allege that defendants, mostly major chemical manufacturers, contaminated groundwater with PFAS near various military bases, airports, and other industrial sites with the use of AFFFs.
PFAS, or Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large family of man-made chemical compounds found in a wide range of consumer products such as nonstick products, polishes, waxes, paints and cleaning products¹. Two PFAS compounds, perfluorooctane acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), may be present in firefighting aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) solutions¹. AFFF is a water-based fire-fighting foam product used to suppress flammable liquid fires⁴. PFAS are the key components in a majority of AFFF⁴. This class of chemical substances includes perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)⁴.
In conclusion, if you or someone you know has been exposed to AFFF firefighting foam or other toxic PFAS chemicals like PFOA or PFOS and has been diagnosed with cancer or suffered from other health conditions or illnesses as a result of this exposure, it is important to seek legal action. An experienced attorney from our Mass Tort Intake Center group can help you file an individual lawsuit or join a mass tort action in multidistrict litigation to seek compensation for your injuries and suffering.
LEARN MORE:
(1) The hidden dangers in firefighting foam – U.S. Fire Administration
(2) Working safety with PFAS containing aqueous film-forming firefightin
(3) PFAS | NIOSH | CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(4) Firefighting foams: PFAS vs. fluorine-free foams – U.S. Fire Administration
