Firefighters Have Developed Cancer From Using Firefighting Foam

Water Contamination Lawsuit News

Thousands more firefighting foam lawsuits are expected from firefighters and those living near municipal firefighting stations

Monday, November 21, 2022 - Most of the clothing firefighters wear is fire-retardant, an attribute of the properties of PFAS chemicals. PFAS forever chemicals have strong molecular bonds and do not biodegrade allowing them to penetrate the soil and into the underlying water table. PFAS chemicals bioaccumulate within the human body and can cause cancer over time. Firefighters have filed PFAS cancer lawsuits alleging that using firefighting foam and wearing fire and waterproof clothing caused their cancer. In addition to firefighters, aviators have also been sickened by using or regularly coming into contact with firefighting foam. AboutLawsuits.com (AL) wrote that around 3000 PFAS cancer lawsuits have been filed by firefighters that have come into regular contact with or breathed the air or drank water that was contaminated with aqueous film-forming firefighting foam (AFFF).

AL reports a Federal judge has appointed a moderator to facilitate a monetary settlement between firefighters with cancer and the companies that manufactured the product, since each case is relatively similar, rather than try each case individually. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel in the District of South Carolina will preside over the organization of the cases and select several cases from those presented by a group of attorneys to serve as bellwether trials according to AL. According to AL, "3M Company, Tyco Fire Products, Chemguard, Inc. and other manufacturers involved in the production or sale of AFFF used to combat fuel based-fires, currently face more than 3,100 product liability claims brought by former firefighters diagnosed with cancer, as well as local water suppliers who have incurred damages attempting to remove the toxic chemicals from drinking water in communities nationwide."

PFAS cancer lawsuits may gain steam as state and local government press lawsuits against the manufacturers of firefighting foam and other products that contain PFAS forever chemicals. US state lawmakers are angered by the environmental damage that has occurred because the manufacturers of firefighting foam failed to warn the public for decades about the health dangers using their product presented. 3M, DuPont, and dozens of other companies are listed as the manufacturers and sellers of AFFF firefighting foam in several thoroughly documented lawsuits filed by State attorney generals in locations where millions of their constituents have been potentially sickened. California Attorney General Rob Bonta And North Carolina State AG Joel Stein lead the way in seeking lump-sum monetary awards to fund environmental mediation efforts for other State Attorney Generals to follow suit. Drinking contaminated tap water is linked to cancer in hundreds of thousands of Americans that live in the communities surrounding military bases, airports, and municipal firefighting stations. Some environmental groups estimate that hundreds of millions of Americans may have been exposed to potentially cancer-causing quantities of PFAS forever chemicals due to drinking the tap water in their homes and businesses. Other types of PFAS chemical exposure have occurred at the industrial facility that manufactures PFAS chemicals used in firefighting foam.

More Recent Federal Government Water Contamination Lawsuit News:


Let Our Water Contamination Attorneys Help You

Our attorneys specialize in holding large corporations accountable when they've placed profits ahead of safety. Through settlements and winning verdicts, our attorneys have obtained millions for our clients. Let us help you today.

Lawsuits for PFAS Contaminated Drinking Water

Filing a lawsuit will allow you to hold the federal government accountable for damage it has caused you or a loved one, while also providing real compensation for your medical expenses, suffering and loss. Contact us today for a free consultation.