What Happened?
Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) was developed in the 1960s and became the standard firefighting agent for jet fuel and hydrocarbon fires at military bases and civilian airports worldwide. AFFF contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — nicknamed 'forever chemicals' because they do not break down in the environment or the human body. PFAS accumulate in blood and tissue over years of exposure. Manufacturers including 3M, DuPont, Chemours, Tyco Fire Products, Chemguard, and others manufactured AFFF while knowing for decades that PFAS caused cancer in laboratory animals and accumulating in human populations. Internal documents showed manufacturers suppressed and minimized this research. Firefighters — military and civilian — who trained with live burns, stored AFFF, responded to fuel fires, and maintained AFFF equipment were exposed to extraordinarily high levels of PFAS. Residents living near military bases, airports, and AFFF training sites where contamination leached into groundwater have also been exposed.
Who Qualifies?
Military firefighters who served at any branch of the armed forces. Civilian airport firefighters (ARFF — Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting). Industrial firefighters at chemical plants, refineries, or facilities using AFFF. People who lived near military bases, airports, or industrial facilities where AFFF was heavily used and whose drinking water tested positive for PFAS contamination. Minimum exposure period varies by attorney but generally at least 1 year of significant exposure.
Primary Diagnoses:
Litigation Status
MDL 2873 — In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Products Liability Litigation — is consolidated in the District of South Carolina before Judge Richard Gergel. This is one of the largest MDLs in American history with over 9,000 cases. 3M settled for $10.3 billion in June 2023 — one of the largest mass tort settlements in history. DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva announced a $1.185 billion settlement in June 2023. Other defendants including Tyco, Chemguard, and others are still litigating. New cases from both military/first responder exposure and contaminated water communities are still being filed.
Estimated Compensation
3M's $10.3 billion settlement is being distributed to public water systems — not individual plaintiffs directly. Individual plaintiff cases against remaining defendants are valued based on diagnosis, exposure history, and individual damages. Kidney cancer: estimated $200,000-$600,000+. Testicular cancer in younger plaintiffs: $150,000-$400,000. Other cancers vary by severity and treatment burden. Wrongful death cases: significantly higher. These are estimates only — individual cases vary enormously.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prove exposure to AFFF?
Can blood tests show PFAS levels?
Does the 3M settlement pay individual plaintiffs?
What if I wasn't a firefighter but lived near a base?
Is AFFF still used today?
What is the statute of limitations?
Does prostate cancer qualify?
Will filing affect my firefighter pension?
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Statutes of limitations vary by state.
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