PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuit

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, are a group of synthetic chemicals developed in the 1940s. These substances are designed to be resistant to heat, oil, stains and water, which is why they have become popular in many industrial and everyday products. You can find PFAS in various items, including firefighting foams, non-stick pans, waterproof and stain-resistant fabrics, and food packaging.

Some of the main concerns about PFAS are that they don’t break down easily in the environment and tend to accumulate in wildlife and humans. When PFAS contaminate drinking water, they can lead to serious and long-lasting health problems.

PFAS contamination can spread easily, and the chemicals can last a long time. This means that, over time, they can affect water supplies far from where the contamination started.

Across the country, people, government entities and private entities are filing lawsuits against manufacturers including 3M, DuPont and Tyco Fire Products because their products polluted water supplies, causing cancer and other health problems. PFAS also led to expensive cleanup of contaminated water systems.

We analyzed Regina Brown’s 2024 lawsuit, 2:24-cv-01514 -RMG, as an example of a PFAS cancer lawsuit.

According to Brown’s complaint, the defendants failed to warn consumers that so-called PFAS “forever chemicals” had toxic properties, could persist in the environment for a long time and could contaminate water supplies.

“As a result of drinking water contaminated with Defendants’ fluorochemical products, Plaintiff developed and was diagnosed with kidney cancer, which has caused Plaintiff to undergo medical treatment including a nephrectomy surgery, and to suffer, and continue to suffer, severe personal injuries, pain, and emotional distress, including the fear of cancer recurrence,” the complaint stated.

The claims in Brown’s lawsuit echo those from other individual lawsuits we’ve researched. Plaintiffs who suffered cancer or ulcerative colitis demand compensation for physical, financial and emotional damages that they suffered because of the defendants’ negligence.

Who Is Seeking Legal Help According to PFAS Lawyers

Most people who became clients of the PFAS lawyers we’ve spoken to say they were personally exposed to forever chemicals in water and developed cancer and other serious health problems. Less than 2% of the clients sought an attorney on behalf of someone else.

Lawyers say 27% of the people who have enlisted their help are between the ages of 50 and 59. Only 3.2% hired a lawyer on behalf of minors or are under the age of 20.

The next largest age group is 20 to 29, accounting for 22.2% of claimants. Thirty to 39-year-olds and 40- to 49-year-olds each make up 17.5% of the people pursuing a lawsuit.

Municipal Water Systems File Separate Lawsuits

Public water system lawsuits focus on costs that affect the larger community. Individual cases instead aim for personal compensation related to specific exposure and health consequences.

Cities and water utilities have sued PFAS manufacturers, claiming they ignored the dangers of these chemicals, resulting in contaminated drinking water. This contamination has forced local governments to spend significantly on testing and cleanup.

In 2023, 3M offered a $10.3 billion settlement to public water systems. The money would go toward cleanup and remediation costs. However, this money is meant for the utilities, not nearby residents.

In contrast, individual lawsuits focus on the personal harm caused by PFAS, often linked to the use of firefighting foam near military bases or airports. These plaintiffs seek compensation for health issues like cancer and other injuries.

Several chemical companies that made PFAS have been sued. DuPont, Chemours and Corteva paid a $2 billion settlement to the state of New Jersey in August 2025. 3M agreed in May 2025 to pay up to $450 million to the state of New Jersey over a 25-year period. Santa Clara County, California, filed a lawsuit against more than a dozen companies in February 2025. When filing the lawsuit, the county’s attorneys said more than 22 companies had manufactured forever chemicals.

You may qualify for a PFAS water contamination lawsuit if you’ve developed testicular, kidney or liver cancer or ulcerative colitis after exposure to PFAS, according to our research and information we’ve received from our legal partners.

Award-winning lawyers with our partner law firms are investigating claims from people diagnosed with one of the cancers or health problems listed below.

If you drank from a contaminated water supply between 1990 to the present for at least six cumulative months and received a cancer or ulcerative colitis diagnosis in 2000 or later, you may qualify for compensation.

According to lawyers litigating PFAS cases, 52% of their clients have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, while 30.2% have been diagnosed with kidney cancer. Testicular cancer comprises 12.7% of the claims, and liver cancer is the injury in 4.8% of lawsuits.

You can find a PFAS contamination lawyer by searching on the internet or through your local bar association for an environmental lawsuit lawyer who handles individual personal injury claims. We recommend speaking to an attorney as soon as possible to preserve your right to file a PFAS cancer or ulcerative colitis lawsuit. Depending on your state, you may have as little as one year to file a lawsuit. One of our PFAS legal partners can tell you for sure.

Unfortunately, we’ve spoken to people who waited too long and lost their chance to file a claim because they put off speaking to a lawyer. It’s free to speak to a lawyer about your claim, and you don’t lose anything by having a free case evaluation to help you decide if you want to pursue a claim.

Because of Drugwatch’s experience researching and reporting on large mass tort and environmental litigations, we recommend looking for an attorney with extensive environmental tort experience on the national level. Defendants in this litigation are large multinational companies with deep pockets, and plaintiffs need experienced attorneys with resources to take on the corporations.

If you believe PFAS-contaminated water has made you sick, saving proof and consulting a lawyer promptly are the most crucial steps.

For example, Drugwatch’s legal partners at Levin Papantonio Rafferty have years of experience handling complex environmental and injury litigation. They have helped individuals and families from all over the country and acquired millions in settlements and jury verdicts for their clients.

“3M has polluted the entire world, and the blood of everyone in it, with toxic PFAS, and yet 3M still denies responsibility. We will make sure the entire story is told and hold them accountable in court,” said Wes Bowden, a Levin attorney and shareholder.

Before talking to a lawyer, you should gather relevant information that shows you were exposed to PFAS and that it may be linked to your medical condition. You can do this by assembling documents that can help a lawyer determine whether you have a case.

In a PFAS water contamination lawsuit, compensation is based on two main types of damages: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages include clear financial losses, such as past and future medical expenses, wages lost due to illness, and property damage. On the other hand, non-economic damages cover emotional and personal impacts, like pain, suffering, mental distress and diminished quality of life.

The total amount of a PFAS settlement varies depending on several factors. These include how serious your illness is, how strong the evidence is, how long you were exposed to the harmful substances, and the financial resources of those responsible for the contamination. Each case is weighed individually to determine the appropriate compensation.

As of November 2025, our legal partners are accepting PFAS water contamination lawsuits, and we continue to provide you with the latest PFAS litigation updates.

We’ve compiled a comprehensive timeline of key developments in the PFAS litigation by thoroughly reviewing court documents and consulting lawyers involved in lawsuits over PFAS cancer and health risks.

Legal experts say PFAS litigation is just starting as more companies are being examined for using PFAS in their products.

Unfortunately, it’s expensive to litigate large cases like these and only firms with experience and resources can take them on. Oftentimes, law firms must litigate these cases with their own money and don’t get paid until a settlement is reached. When it comes to personal injury cases, make sure you know the fee agreement ahead of time before signing any contacts.

Lawyers: $10.3B PFAS Settlement ‘Pivotal Moment’ in Litigation

In June 2023, 3M agreed to a $10.3 billion settlement payable over 13 years to settle hundreds of claims the company polluted public drinking water with the chemicals. These settlement funds will be paid to public water providers to improve the testing and treatment of public water for PFAS.  

Plaintiffs’ lawyers called the 3M settlement a pivotal moment in water contamination litigation. We hope it will pave the way for settlements in individual plaintiffs’ injury cases moving forward.

Meanwhile, Chemours Co., DuPont de Nemours Inc. and Corteva reached a similar deal with U.S. water providers for $1.19 billion.

People who live near factories or military bases that used PFAS are at the greatest risk of PFAS exposure. Aqueous Film Forming Foam, or AFFF, is one of the greatest sources of PFAS water contamination. Military bases, airports and civilian firefighters used AFFF to extinguish fuel-based fires for years.

In fact, our research revealed that the Department of Defense alerted 2,100 farms near nearly 100 military bases that their irrigation water may be contaminated with PFAS.

According to a consensus report from lawyers involved in the litigation, 77% of claimants did not receive notice from a water supplier.

Our legal partners have flagged certain states and areas with high concentrations of PFAS. We’ve provided you with the list below for reference.

Some of the hottest spots for PFAS contamination include military bases in Oklahoma, Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida and California.