AFFF Lawsuit

Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has been used for decades to fight fires. It was used at airports, firefighting training facilities and military bases due to its effectiveness in combating liquid-based fires, including those caused by gasoline.

The Department of Defense began requiring its installations to stop using AFFF as of October 1, 2024, due to the presence of hazardous chemicals in the foam.

AFFF contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are also known as forever chemicals. These chemicals have useful properties, like water resistance. However, they are man-made, nearly indestructible and can linger in the environment.

Research has emerged that PFAS may increase the risk of serious health issues, including kidney, testicular and thyroid cancer.

Now, people who were exposed to AFFF are filing lawsuits.

Thousands of AFFF lawsuits have been filed in recent years over claims that exposure to the PFAS in the foam may lead to serious health conditions.

Lawsuits have been filed by firefighters, first responders and others who worked around this foam and were directly exposed to it. Exposure often occurred at airports, military bases and firefighting training facilities.

Other cases have been filed by people who may have been impacted via drinking water. Following decades of use, AFFF and its potentially cancer-causing chemicals have contaminated drinking water supplies across the nation.

Many people who drank contaminated water and developed serious health issues have filed lawsuits. Some public water systems have even sued over contamination, with a few plaintiffs receiving billions of dollars in settlements.

Firefighters have also filed turnout gear lawsuits over claims that the chemicals in firefighting foam were used in protective gear.

If you were exposed to AFFF or drank water contaminated by this foam and developed a serious health condition, you might qualify to file an AFFF lawsuit.

For your lawsuit to be successful, you should be able to document where and how your AFFF exposure occurred.

Don’t worry if you aren’t sure how to figure this out on your own. We can connect you with experienced mass tort law firms to help you gather the necessary information to build the strongest case possible.

Research has linked the chemicals contained in firefighting foam to a growing list of potential health problems, including kidney cancer, testicular cancer, cholesterol issues and more. These PFAS health effects can be wide-ranging and devastating.

One type of PFAS in AFFF is called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies this chemical as carcinogenic to humans. While PFOA is no longer manufactured in the United States, its potential health consequences remain following years of use.

According to the American Cancer Society, studies have suggested links between PFOA exposure and higher risks of the following cancers:

Some studies about people who lived near or worked on chemical plants tied to PFOA have also uncovered evidence of increased risks of kidney and testicular cancers. One study published in 2013, for example, examined adults living near a chemical plant and found that PFOA exposure in that community was tied to both types of cancer.

PFAS exposure symptoms may also include adverse effects on your immune system, increases in cholesterol and more.

The companies that manufactured and sold firefighting foams, as well as the potentially harmful chemicals they contain, are being sued in PFAS lawsuits. One of the main defendants is 3M. The company produced and sold firefighting foam from the 1960s to the early 2000s.

Reports allege that 3M was aware of the risks associated with its firefighting foam for decades, despite claiming otherwise publicly. As late as the 1990s, the company said its foam could be discharged directly into sewers.

Hundreds of military sites are suspected of having discharged AFFF over the years.

Key defendants also include DuPont and its spinoff company, Chemours. Other notable defendants who have been sued in AFFF lawsuits include:

There has yet to be a global settlement for the AFFF personal injury lawsuits. But there is a chance that could change soon.

Currently, there are 11,096 active AFFF lawsuits consolidated in federal court in multidistrict litigation (MDL). MDLs are used to streamline the legal process when many similar lawsuits are filed, placing them all before one judge.

Bellwether trials are part of the MDL process and work like test cases. Instead of having all of the cases go to trial, a small handful are chosen for bellwether trials. The outcome of these trials helps both sides understand the strength of their arguments and what might happen if more cases go before a jury.

When people who filed lawsuits win bellwether trials, defendants are often motivated to agree to a global settlement instead of risking sending more cases to trial, where they may have to make larger payouts.

The first AFFF personal injury bellwether trial is scheduled for October and will focus on kidney cancer.

In June 2025, the judge overseeing these cases encouraged both sides to reach a settlement before the trial begins.

Industry estimates suggest that individual AFFF settlement payouts may range from $75,000 to $500,000. However, these estimates are speculative, and a settlement is not guaranteed.

Payouts will depend on the extent of your injury and the individual details of your case. A kidney cancer case, for example, may be eligible for a different payout than a testicular cancer case.

The parties in the AFFF litigation have not yet agreed to a global settlement. Individual cases that go to trial could potentially earn much more if they receive a favorable verdict.