Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation
Scientific evidence links PFOA and PFOS exposure to a broad spectrum of health issues, including various cancers, organ toxicity, reproductive health problems, and immune suppression. Peer-reviewed studies demonstrate that these chemicals are highly toxic, persistent, and capable of bioaccumulation, with long latency periods for disease manifestation. Regulatory agencies like the EPA recognize potential health risks, supporting causation claims in litigation.
15,244
Pending actions
19,819
Total actions filed
Active
Status
12/07/2018
Established
Filing deadline
No specific court-imposed filing deadline or statute of limitations is publicly available as of March 2026. Claims deadlines mentioned in settlement notices (e.g., December 2023, December 2024) are not court-mandated deadlines but part of settlement processes.
Who qualifies
Plaintiffs must demonstrate exposure to firefighting foam containing PFAS, such as through employment, military service, or residence near contaminated sites. They must have a diagnosed health condition linked to PFAS exposure, confirmed by medical and employment records. Exposure must be documented to have occurred at facilities using AFFF containing PFOA and PFOS, with evidence supporting causation.
Products involved
- Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF)
- PFOA
- PFOS
Alleged injuries
- various cancers (kidney, testicular, prostate, pancreatic)
- liver damage
- kidney damage
- reproductive health issues
- immune system effects
Bellwether trials
The first bellwether trial scheduled for October 2025 was postponed by Judge Gergel due to procedural delays. Multiple sources indicate ongoing settlement discussions and procedural issues, with no recent verdicts reported as of March 2026.
Settlement landscape
Estimates suggest individual case settlements range from $20,000 to over $600,000, depending on injury severity. A landmark settlement of approximately $10.3 billion was announced by 3M in June 2023 to address contamination liabilities. Over 15,220 claims are pending, with ongoing negotiations and case management.
Lead counsel
- Michael A. London (Douglas & London, P.C.)
- Scott Summy (Baron & Budd, P.C.)
- Joseph F. Rice (Motley Rice LLC)
- Charles E. Schaffer (Levin Sedran & Berman)
- Richard S. Lewis (Hausfeld)
- Kevin Madonna (Madonna & Madonna, LLP)
- Frank L. Gallucci, III (Plevin & Gallucci)
- William J. Jackson (Kelley Drye & Warren LLP)
- Wesley Bowden (Levin, Papantonio, Thomas, Mitchell, Rafferty, Proctor P.A.)
- Nancy Christensen (Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C.)
- T. Roe Frazer, II (Frazer PLC)
- James Ferraro (The Ferraro Law Firm)
- Christiaan A. Marcum (Rogers, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman)
- Gregory A. Cade (Law Offices of Environmental Litigation Group, P.C.)
- Christina Cossich (Cossich, Sumich, Parsiola & Taylor LLC)
- Gale D. Pearson (Fears Nachawati Law Firm)
- Carl Solomon (Solomon Law Group, LLC)
- Todd Logan (Edelson PC)
- Michael Stag (Stag Liuzza, LLC)
- Ken Sansone (SL Environmental Law Group)
- David Buchanan (Seeger Weiss)
- Matthew Pawa (Pawa Law Group)
- Larry R. Cohan (Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky, P.C.)
- Stephanie Biehl (Sher Edling, LLP)
- J. Edward Bell, III (Bell Legal Group)
- Elizabeth C. Pritzker (Pritzker Levine LLP)
- Hunter Shkolnik (Napoli Shkolnik)
- Kevin Hanon (Singleton Schreiber, LLP)
- Elizabeth Fegan (Fegan Scott LLC)
- Robert A. Bilott (Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP)
This page is generated from the official JPML pending-MDL report and public court records, refreshed monthly. It is provided for attorney reference and is not legal advice.
