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AFFF lawsuit: firefighting foam and PFAS cancer claims
AFFF is a firefighting foam that contains PFAS, long-lasting chemicals sometimes called forever chemicals. Lawsuits by water providers and by people exposed to the foam are grouped in South Carolina. Water-provider claims have settled; personal injury claims have not.
By SettlementLift. Published · Updated .
Who is filing
Plaintiffs include firefighters, military and airport personnel who worked with the foam, people whose drinking water was contaminated, and public water systems. Defendants include 3M, DuPont and related chemical companies.
Injuries at issue
Personal injury claims involve conditions such as kidney and testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis and liver cancer. The court is reviewing the scientific evidence disease by disease.
The federal MDL
MDL 2873 is before Judge Richard M. Gergel in the District of South Carolina. The federal panel reported 15,264 pending cases as of October 1, 2026, making it one of the largest active MDLs.
JPML: Pending MDL dockets by actions pending (October 1, 2026) ↗Settlements so far
In 2023, 3M and DuPont-related companies agreed to settlements with public water systems totaling more than $11 billion. Those settlements are for water providers, not for individual injury claims. Personal injury bellwether trials have been postponed while court-supervised settlement talks continue.
Drinking water rules
In 2024 the EPA set enforceable drinking water limits for several PFAS, including 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS. In 2026 the EPA proposed keeping the PFOA and PFOS limits while rescinding others; check the EPA page for the current status.
EPA: PFAS in drinking water ↗Records that matter
Work history showing where and when you used or were exposed to the foam, military or fire department records, where you lived and your water source, and medical records of the diagnosis.
Deadlines
Each state sets its own filing deadline, and the clock often starts when you knew or should have known about the injury and its possible cause. Joining an MDL does not pause your state’s deadline, so ask a lawyer promptly if you are considering a claim.
Talking to a lawyer
Mass tort lawyers usually work on contingency, meaning they are paid a percentage of any recovery. Ask how the fee is calculated, which costs you could owe, whether your case would be filed in the MDL or in state court, and who will handle it day to day. SettlementLift is not a law firm and does not take or refer these cases.
ABA: Questions to ask a lawyer ↗Frequently asked questions
Has there been an AFFF personal injury settlement?
Not as of October 19, 2026. The large settlements announced so far were with public water systems.
Do I have to be a firefighter to file?
No. Some claims come from people exposed through contaminated drinking water, but each claim depends on proof of exposure and a qualifying diagnosis.