Former Firefighter Claims PFAS in Firefighting Foam Caused His Kidney Cancer

A newly filed lawsuit claims dangerous chemicals in firefighting foam caused a Floridian man’s kidney cancer diagnosis and subsequent kidney removal. This lawsuit joins over 200 others, each similarly alleging that firefighting foam exposure caused health complications like prostate cancer, testicular cancer, heart cancer, and breast cancer.

According to the complaint, James Edward Collie was regularly exposed to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) during his career as a military and/or civilian firefighter. The former firefighter alleges that exposure to toxic chemicals called per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in AFFF caused his kidney cancer diagnosis and following kidney removal.

PFAS are manmade chemicals designed to resist heat, water, grease, and stains. They were first introduced to the manufacturing industry in the 1940s and have been since included in numerous products including plastics, food packaging, and, notably, Class B AFFF.

“AFFF is a specialized substance designed to extinguish petroleum-based fires,” Collie’s lawsuit indicates. “It has been used for decades by military and civilian firefighters to extinguish fires in training and in response to Class B fires.”

However, since their release on the market, PFAS have been linked to adverse health conditions such as liver damage, decreased fertility, thyroid disease, and cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PFAS can build up or bioaccumulate inside of the body and never break down, causing the aforementioned injuries.   

Collie’s lawsuit, filed on December 8th, indicates he regularly used and was directly exposed to firefighting foam to help fight fires and train to fight fires. However, Collie was never informed that the foam was toxic or that he would need protective gear in order to safely to handle the foam.

“AFFF and its components are associated with a wide variety of adverse health effects in humans,” Collie indicates in his complaint. “Exposure to Defendants’ AFFF has been linked to serious medical conditions including, but not limited to, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, liver cancer, testicular tumors, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, bladder cancer, thyroid disease, and infertility.”  

Numerous companies across the U.S. manufacture firefighting foam containing PFAS including 3M Company, Buckeye Fire Equipment Company, and Chemguard, Inc. These companies, among others, are named as defendants in Collie’s lawsuit.

According to Collie’s lawsuit, AFFF manufacturers knew as early as the 1960s about PFAS toxicity and never warned consumers about the health risks. Additional studies conducted in the last decade have confirmed the health risks of exposure to PFAS in AFFF.

“By at least 2010, additional research and testing performed by Defendants manufacturing and/or using PFAS, including at least 3M and DuPont, revealed multiple potential adverse health impacts among workers exposed to such PFAS,” Collie’s complaint states.

Firefighting Foam Lawsuits

Due to the increasing, similar claims that AFFF exposure caused injuries, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) decided to centralize these federal lawsuits as part of a multidistrict litigation. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel now oversees these lawsuits in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division. Collie and other individuals filing firefighting foam cancer lawsuits in this litigation are suing for damages for personal injury caused by PFAS in AFFF.

As part of pretrial proceedings, Judge Gergel established a “bellwether” trial process to help address the increasing lawsuits. Bellwether trials are a series of early trial dates designed to help parties gauge how juries might respond to certain testimony and evidence likely to be repeated throughout the claims.

By the end of the bellwether process, if parties have not reached a firefighting foam settlement, each individual case may be remanded back to the U.S. District Court it was originally filed in for a future trial date.

Firefighters Fear Their Protective Gear Could Cause Cancer: Bloomberg Report

PFAS in Firefighter Gear Alleged to Cause Health Complications

A new report indicates firefighters could be at risk of developing severe health problems from not only firefighting foam but their protective gear too. Bloomberg Law reports firefighters’ “bunker gear” contains large quantities of chemicals called PFAS, or Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS has been linked to numerous health problems including liver, kidney, and prostate cancer.

“No one had ever heard of it before,” said Paul Cotter, a former firefighter, of PFAS in firefighting gear. Cotter was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a 28-year career as a firefighter.

Cotter faced numerous dangers on the job as a firefighter, from collapsing buildings to heat exhaustion. However, when Cotter was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, further research indicated PFAS in firefighting gear may be to blame for his cancer.

PFAS are manmade chemicals designed to resist grease, oil, water, and heat, making them ideal for firefighting gear. However, health officials like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked PFAS exposure to a number of health complications like lower infant birth weights, increased cholesterol levels, and cancer.

Nuclear Physicist Graham Peaslee was requested by Cotter’s wife to investigate whether Cotter’s firefighting gear had a link to cancer. Peaslee, a professor at the University of Notre Dame, found through his research that firefighter textiles had “high levels of total fluorine.” Total fluorine is a major component of PFAS.

“There’s no question there’s PFAS in the gear,” nuclear physicist Graham Peaslee said. “Now it’s a question of whether it’s getting into firefighters’ bodies and accumulating there.”

PFAS have been added to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which is frequently used by firefighters to fight fires in training and on-the-job scenarios. Recent lawsuits and newly enforced legislation have focused on the dangers of PFAS in firefighting foam, working to place regulations on PFAS and pursue further research on the health impacts of PFAS exposure.

Over the last few years, many former firefighters and individuals exposed to firefighting foam have filed claims against AFFF manufacturers, claiming exposure to PFAS in firefighting foam caused their cancer diagnosis. While many of the lawsuits filed over PFAS contamination call out firefighting foam manufacturers for negligence, only a few are seeking damages against turnout gear manufacturers.

“There’s a lot of PFAS chemicals out there, and there are many that we really don’t know what effects they have,” said University of Arizona researcher Jefferey Burgess. Burgess is leading one of the two federally funded studies on PFAS.

Companies who manufacture gear containing PFAS assert their gear is safe for use, denying any wrongdoing. A spokesperson for 3M Scott Fire & Safety said the company “uses limited quantities of certain fluoropolymers in components of firefighter protective equipment.”

“3M’s products have been tested and assessed to help assure their safety for their intended uses,” Sean Lynch, a spokesperson for 3M, said.

However, further studies prompted by these allegations may prove that PFAS exposure from firefighting gear is toxic to human health. Attorneys representing victims of firefighting gear cancer indicate there is a substantial causational link between PFAS in their clients’ firefighting gear and cancer.

“We think it’s going to bring about change in the industry, and ideally give them compensation for their injuries,” said Elizabeth Pritzker, an attorney with Pritzker Levine LLP, which represents two dozen firefighters filing claims in California against foam makers and manufacturers of firefighting protective gear. Each of Pritzker's clients was diagnosed with cancer (nine of them with prostate cancer like Paul Cotter) and had higher than average levels of PFAS in their blood.

“We just need more people to know about it and to demand change,” Cotter said about PFAS in firefighting protective gear. “We can change it. We can make the fire service a little bit safer.”

Geologists Call PFAS “One of the Most Toxic Substances Ever Identified”

PFAS Contamination Drives Geologists to Warn Public About Hazards of These “Forever Chemicals”

For decades, PFAS, or per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, remained relatively unknown to the general public. Odd, considering this chemical class contains over 3000 compounds and have been added to products for nearly a century.   

PFAS are manmade chemicals added to some of the most common and popular manufactured goods on the market. Since the 1940’s industries added PFAS to products including paints, plastics, and even microwavable popcorn bags. However, the public has remained oblivious to what they do or why manufacturers add PFAS to many of the most used and recognized household products.

Manufactures designed PFAS chemicals to be incredibly sturdy and resistant to grease, oil, heat, and water, making them ideal for products like firefighting foams and stain- and water-repellent fabrics. Because of this resilient design, for half a century manufacturers have extensively produced PFAS, leading to their widespread use in industries around the globe.

Despite their extensive use, the public has rarely to never heard of the extreme health risks associated with exposure to PFAS. In fact, geologists at the Geological Society of America (GSA) call PFAS “one of the most toxic substances ever identified.” In a recent press release, the GSA identified that even at extremely low concentrations, PFAS are extremely toxic and can cause severe health risks due to bioaccumulation.

PFAS earned the nickname of “forever chemicals,” because they do not break down over time, otherwise known as bioaccumulation. According to leaders in the health community, these compounds stay in the environment and the human body forever, steadily building up as time goes on. The GSA says PFAS can enter into the environment and get transported through groundwater, rivers, and soils, impacting every ecosystem they contact.

“PFAS don’t discriminate,” says Steve Sliver, GSA presenter and lead of Michigan state’s PFAS response team. “The sources are pretty much everywhere.”

Scientists at not only the GSA but the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry agree that this buildup of PFAS can cause severe health conditions over time, some of them potentially deadly. According to these researchers’ studies, the accumulation of PFAS in the body may cause side effects like low infant birth weights, thyroid hormone disruption, negative effects on the immune system, and increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer.

At the GSA’s 2020 Annual Meeting, geologists from across the country discussed the ramifications of PFAS in the environment, hoping to bring national attention to the risks of these substances. One of the presenters, Matt Reeves, a professor at Western Michigan University, said PFAS has bonds that are “among the strongest in all of chemistry,” lending to their nickname of being “forever chemicals.”

"It's almost like armor...we don't have any evidence of degradation of these compounds," Reeves says in an interview with the Geological Society of America.

With the mounting concerns of PFAS exposure across the country, some states have effectively implemented new measures to tackle the problem. Michigan has some of the strictest PFAS regulations in the country, placing the highest safety limit of one PFAS compound at 6 parts per trillion. This limit is far lower than the EPA’s guidelines.

“Michigan is the most proactive state of the nation in characterizing and studying PFAS, and with their legislation,” says Reeves. His talk at the GSA’s Annual Meeting, co-authored by Sliver, highlights the perpetual PFAS cycle on land and the difficulty of remediating sites identified with PFAS.

“Notice we don’t call it a ‘life cycle,’” Reeves says. “It’s a perpetual cycle. Many of these compounds do not naturally degrade, so there's no 'death.'”

PFAS in Firefighting Foam

As concerns continue to rise over PFAS exposure, many firefighters have filed complaints against firefighting foam manufactures for failing to warn them about the risks of PFAS in firefighting foam.

Like other products, manufactures have added PFAS to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) since the early 20th century. Big-name companies like 3M Company, DuPont, and Chemours produced Class B AFFF to help fight oil and grease fires.

However, these manufactures never warned consumers about the health risks associated with PFAS. Sources say manufactures may have known as early as the 1940's about the risks of cancer but failed to include proper warnings on firefighting foam.

Firefighters in the military, industrial settings, and local fire departments regularly used PFAS-contaminated foam in both training and fire-fighting settings, leaving them exposed to PFAS toxicity. Additionally, many living in communities near firefighting stations, military bases, or industrial sites that used AFFF have found local drinking water has been contaminated by PFAS in firefighting foam run-off. Numerous claims from across the country say PFAS in firefighting foam caused various cancer diagnoses, including testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, skin cancer, and liver cancer.

Were You Exposed to PFAS in Firefighting Foam?

If you were exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam and developed cancer, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Allegations from across the country indicate AFFF manufacturers hid the health risks of PFAS for nearly a century, neglecting your well-being. Their negligence could mean the suffering of, potentially, millions over the last few decades, and this negligence should not remain unchecked.

By filing a product liability claim against AFFF manufacturers, you can hold the manufacturers accountable for their actions and protect future users of AFFF. Along with holding manufacturers responsible for their negligence, you have the opportunity to get the compensation you deserve to help you recover from your PFAS-related injuries. Those filing claims against AFFF makers are seeking compensation to help cover financial burdens caused by their PFAS injuries, including medical monitoring, medical bills, pain & suffering, and loss of income.

By hiring the lawyers with Justice for Firefighters for your case, you not only receive years of extensive legal experience on your side, but you also get someone who will fight aggressively for the success of your case from start to finish. Reach out to us today for your free case evaluation to see if you may qualify to file a claim for your PFAS-related injuries.

Film-Forming Foam Caused Florida Firefighter’s Breast Cancer: Lawsuit

A recent claim filed in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina claims toxic chemicals in firefighting foam caused a firefighter to develop breast cancer. Dozens of lawsuits across the nation have been filed against the manufacturers of film-forming foam for failing to warn the public about the risks of exposure to chemicals in the foam.

Debbie Rittenhouse filed her complaint on September 15, joining a growing litigation against chemical and fire safety equipment manufacturers that produced toxic firefighting foam. Rittenhouse’s complaint calls out nearly a dozen firefighting foam companies for producing and selling toxic film-forming foam, including 3M Company, Buckeye Fire Equipment Company, and Chemguard, Inc.

Rittenhouse worked as a firefighter in Broward County, Florida from 1994 to 2018. In September 2016 she was diagnosed with grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma and metastasized lymph node, which she claims was caused by toxic chemicals in firefighting foam.

Firefighting foam, otherwise known as aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), is commonly used during training exercises and in response to fight certain fuel-based fires. However, since the 1940’s manufacturers have added chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to AFFF.

PFAS are manmade substances designed to resist heat and grease. PFAS can be found in a number of household products including popcorn bags, plastics, clothing, etc. Recently health officials have found PFAS can build up inside of the human body and never break down, increasing the risk of cancer and other severe injuries.

Studies conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found that PFAS can settle in the kidney, blood, and liver, increasing individuals’ risk of liver and kidney cancer. Other firefighting foam injury lawsuits claim PFAS in AFFF caused firefighters’ colon, testicular, and breast cancer diagnoses.

According to product liability lawsuits filed across the nation, firefighters were never warned about the dangers of PFAS in firefighting foam nor trained how to safely use firefighting foam without risk of PFAS exposure.

“Throughout her long career, Plaintiff conducted routine trainings using Defendants’ AFFF and fluorochemical products,” Rittenhouse’s claim indicates. “At no point during her training or career did she receive any warning that Defendants’ AFFF containing PFOA and PFOS and/or their precursor chemicals was toxic or carcinogenic.”

Rittenhouse’s claim joins dozens of other firefighting foam injury lawsuits filed throughout the federal court system, now centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Mississippi Firefighter Claims Toxic Firefighting Foam Caused His Prostate Cancer

A recently filed product liability lawsuit claims a former Mississippi firefighter developed prostate cancer following years of exposure to firefighting foam. Increasing studies have found toxic chemicals in firefighting foam can increase the risk of developing cancer including prostate, kidney, liver, and ovarian cancer.

On July 29, Dewayne Miles filed his complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Miles, who fought fires in both military and civilian positions, claims he was regularly exposed to toxic aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) during his firefighting career. Miles indicates in the claim that AFFF manufactures knew for decades that their foam was toxic due to the addition of substances known as PFAS.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are man-made chemicals designed to resist heat, stains, grease, and water. They were first introduced to the market in the 1940’s and have since been added to firefighting foams, plastics, food products, and packaging.

However, since they were introduced into the marketing industry, studies indicate PFAS can build up in users’ bloodstreams and cause severe side effects. Health officials from the CDC found PFAS can settle in the blood, liver, and kidneys, causing tumors where they settle. Now, numerous studies link PFAS exposure to cancers including pancreatic, ovarian, testicular, and kidney cancer.

Miles’ lawsuit calls out popular AFFF manufactures for negligence, including Buckeye Fire Equipment Company, Chemguard Incl, and Du Pont Nemours Inc. According to other lawsuits like Miles’, AFFF manufacturers knew about the cancer risks of PFAS in firefighting foam and still sold to the public without proper health warnings.

“Defendants did not warn public entities, firefighter trainees who they knew would foreseeably come into contact with their AFFF products, or firefighters employed by either civilian and/or military employers that use of and/or exposure to Defendants’ AFFF products containing PFAS and/or its precursors would pose a danger to human health,” the lawsuit states. “The Plaintiff was never informed that this product was inherently dangerous. Nor was the Plaintiff warned about the known health risks associated with this product.”

Firefighting Foam Exposure Caused Fatal Leukemia, Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claims

The wife of an ex-firefighter filed a wrongful death lawsuit against firefighting foam manufacturers, claiming exposure to toxic chemicals in the foam caused her husband to develop and die from acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This lawsuit joins hundreds of others from across the U.S., each alleging toxic foam caused individuals to develop severe injuries.

Last week Deidre Culhane filed her complaint in the U.S. District Court from the District of Southern California. The claim, brought forward on behalf of her and her late husband David, claims he was exposed to toxic aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) for nearly 40 years during his career as a firefighter.

Ms. Culhane indicates in the lawsuit that her husband was regularly exposed to firefighting foam during his time as a firefighter at the Arlington Fire Department. A year after he retired, Culhane was diagnosed with AML, which caused his death several months later. There was no prior family history of AML.

“Slowly and tortuously, Mr. Culhane was overcome by the disease,” Ms. Culhane states in the lawsuit. “On July 18, 2018, he finally succumbed to the cancer and passed away in the presence of his family. The last year of Mr. Culhane’s life could best be described as a perilous struggle against a disease whose origin was still a mystery to his family and him. It remained a mystery until October 2019, when Plaintiff discovered information about AFFF being a human carcinogen.”

The lawsuit calls out several manufacturers and distributors of firefighting foam as defendants. AFFF manufactures named in the lawsuit include 3M Company, Chemguard, Kidde-Fenwal, Inc., and the Chemours Company.

Toxic Firefighting Foam Side Effects

AFFF foam has been actively used by military bases, airports, and civilian fire fighting organizations for decades. However, recent research has found that chemicals added to fire fighting foam can be toxic to human health.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals designed to resist grease, oil, water and heat. AFFF manufacturers have added PFAS to their foam since the 1940’s to help fight oil-based fires, but these chemicals can be found in everything from plastics to furniture.

Recent studies uncovered PFAS can build up inside of the body and never break down, causing severe side effects. According to health officials at the FDA, CDC, and American Cancer Society (ACS), PFAS can increase individuals’ risk of developing cancer. Lawsuits brought forward by those injured by firefighting foam exposure claim PFAS in AFFF caused cancer diagnoses including testicular, pancreatic, ovarian, and liver cancer.  

“Defendants in this case knew the risks AFFF presented to the health of human beings,” the lawsuit states. “They knew that the users of PFAS containing AFFF would most often be those who take on the most sacred of public charges. But instead of informing the selfless public servants, giving them a chance to choose if the risk was worth the use, Defendants simply took that agency away from people like David Culhane.”

In December 2018, lawsuits against firefighting foam manufacturers for PFAS exposure where centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina for pretrial proceedings.

Michigan Fire Departments to Regulate Use of Firefighting Foam Containing PFAS

Michigan legislatures passed a new bill into law that regulates the use and reporting of firefighting foam containing potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS. On July 8, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bills 4389 and 4390 into law, responding to the outbreak of drinking water contamination caused by toxic firefighting foam.

Industrial chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made substances that are incredibly resistant to heat and oil. These chemicals have been added to aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) since the 1940’s to help put out fires.

Firefighters in military, airport, and civilian departments have used firefighting foam containing PFAS for decades in both training and active use. However, recent research has linked exposure to PFAS to cancers, including prostate, ovarian, and testicular cancer.

From its active use and for firefighting training, toxic AFFF foam has been found to seep into areas and groundwater surrounding airports, military bases, and firefighting stations. Local wells across Michigan used for drinking water have tested positive for PFAS, especially those located near places that use firefighting foam.

One of the stipulations outlined in Michigan’s new firefighting foam law is that fire departments have 48 hours to tell state regulators if they used firefighting foam containing PFAS.

Gov. Witmer said by signing the bills, “we ensure any time a fire department uses firefighting foam that contains PFAS, the state is notified and the foam can be disposed of, so these forever chemicals don’t seep into our drinking water and needlessly harm Michiganders.”

Additionally, the bill calls for more firefighter training in how to handle PFAS-based foams. This means firefighters must be certified before using the toxic foam.

“The training in the past was more on the mechanism for delivering the foam and not as much on the health risks,” Jeff Yaroch, a state representative and former firefighter said. “When I was in the fire department, PFAS was not known to have all these health risks.”

Bill Proposes Firefighting Foam Phase-Out in the Defense Department

Recent legislation brought forward in the Senate calls for the defense department to phase out the use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) by the military. This suggestion comes up amid recent health and environmental concerns that chemicals in AFFF foam cause cancer.

This new legislation was first brought up earlier in June by the Senate Armed Services Committee. In their 2021 fiscal year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the committee included new stipulations about addressing the growing health concerns of exposure to firefighting foam.

The NDAA lines out requirements for the Secretary of Defense to “conduct a survey and market research of available firefighting technologies or substances to facilitate the phase-out of fluorinated aqueous film-forming foam.”

AFFF has been actively used by both military and civilian firefighters since the 1960’s. Currently, the military holds enormous stockpiles of firefighting foam on bases across the U.S.

However, growing numbers of military and civilian firefighters claim toxic chemicals in firefighting foam have caused them to develop severe health conditions, namely cancer.  

Class B firefighting foam, the kind used by the military, contains chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These are human-made chemicals designed to resist grease, oil, water, and heat.

Since the 1940’s PFAS have been added into firefighting foams to help battle oil-based fires. However, both the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection agency have found that PFAS build up inside of the body and never break down, increasing the risk of cancer.

Aware of the growing health concerns over PFAS, the Senate Armed Services Committee have included stipulations in the bill that increase spending for the CDC to assess the health risks of PFAS. This bill now awaits approval by the full Senate.

Firefighting Foam Lawsuits

A number of firefighting foam lawsuits across the nation claim AFFF has caused firefighters to develop severe cancer diagnoses. Individuals filing AFFF injury lawsuits say PFAS buildup caused cancer diagnoses including testicular, kidney, and pancreatic cancer.

Additionally, individuals living near military bases have found their water supplies were contaminated by PFAS. AFFF is used for both active use and training purposes, so toxic foam from training can settle into the areas surrounding military bases. Communities near military bases have found local drinking water contains high levels of PFAS from AFFF runoff.

Health officials say PFAS take thousands of years to break down, so they enter and stay in the environment and human body for a long time. Some U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) studies have shown PFAS could likely be found in the blood of 98% of the U.S. population.

The growing number of firefighting foam cancer lawsuits have been centralized as part of a multidistrict litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. These cases now await pretrial proceedings. If you were exposed to toxic firefighting foam, you may be entitled to compensation for your PFAS injuries. Claims brought forward in AFFF lawsuits say firefighting foam manufacturers knew of the health risks of PFAS for decades. Even with this knowledge, they failed to warn consumers about the health risks of PFAS in firefighting foam.

A manufacturer's failure to make sure their product is safe should not mean you have to suffer. Because of their negligence, you deserve compensation to help you heal and recover. If you were diagnosed with cancer after exposure to toxic firefighting foam, reach out to us today. We can connect you to the legal help you need to help you recover the cash award you deserve.

Connect with our caring legal professionals today at 1.800.935.3533; we're available 24/7 and offer free case evaluations around the clock.

Firefighting Foam Contamination: Who’s at Risk?

Many think firefighters are the only group of people at risk of exposure to toxic firefighting foam. However, recent reports discovered people residing around areas that use AFFF foam have high levels of “forever chemicals” in their blood.

For decades military bases have been using and stockpiling firefighting foam for training and firefighting purposes. Now, researchers have discovered chemicals in AFFF foam can cause cancer and other severe side effects.

Since the 1940’s manufacturers of firefighting foam added perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to AFFF. PFAS are human-made chemicals that can be resistant to grease, oil, water, and heat.

However, PFAS have been found to build up inside of the body and never break down, causing individuals’ cancer diagnoses. Across the country individuals are finding that their exposure to PFAS in firefighting foam has caused their cancer diagnoses, including kidney, liver, and testicular cancer.

Airport, military, and civilian firefighters are not the only individuals at risk of toxic firefighting foam exposure. While firefighters are at high risk of developing cancer from PFAS in AFFF, property owners and communities around military bases, airports and incinerators where PFAS firefighting foam is used and burned could be at risk of exposure.

A report in Chemical & Engineering News discovered that “Airports and military bases use large amounts of firefighting foams for training purposes, and in some cases, the perfluorinated surfactants have slipped into groundwater and surface water supplies,” potentially putting surrounding communities in danger.

Firefighting foam runoff can contaminate well water and public drinking water. This can potentially cause cancer in people exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam.

In fact, in 2016 the military warned that there could be potential firefighting foam contamination near 664 different military sites across the nation.  AFFF was commonly used during training exercises at these facilities, and the toxic chemicals may have contaminated water in surrounding communities.

Were You Exposed to Toxic Firefighting Foam?

If you or a loved one was exposed to toxic firefighting foam and developed cancer, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries. According to allegations brought forward in firefighting foam lawsuits, AFFF manufacturers knew about the dangers of PFAS in firefighting foam and still sold toxic foam to the public. Because of their negligence, thousand of individuals in the U.S. could be at risk of developing cancer, requiring constant medical monitoring and treatment.

At Justice for Firefighters, we’re here to make sure AFFF manufactures are held accountable for their negligence. We fight aggressively for your right to compensation for your injuries, so you have your best chance at recovery and healing. We take the hassle out of filing a claim for you so you can focus on your life, not cutting through the red tape of the justice system.

To speak to a legal professional today about whether you may be able to recover compensation, contact us today at 1.800.935.3533. We offer free, no-obligation case evaluations and have live professionals standing by 24/7 to answer your questions and concerns.

Why Should I File a Firefighting Foam Lawsuit?

I Was Exposed to Toxic AFFF; Why Should I File a Claim?

Many people think filing a lawsuit is unnecessary or even frivolous.

“What’s the point?”

“It will cost me too much money.”

“It isn’t worth the hassle.”

“There’s no way I would win.”

However, when a manufacturer grossly fails to make sure their products are safe and end up causing your injuries, filing a product liability lawsuit can help you in many ways and at little to no cost for you.

Compensation for Injuries

After being injured by a dangerous product, many individuals suffer from those injuries for the rest of their lives. This can not only cause extreme pain & suffering, but it can result in stacks of medical bills from getting treatment for your injuries, loss of wages from missing work, and diminished quality of life. Monetary compensation can help product injury victims recover from those financial losses and get back to the place they were financially before their injures.

For example, many individuals have decided to file a firefighting foam lawsuit because chemicals in firefighting foam have been found to be toxic and cause extreme health side effects. For decades aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) has contained perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which health officials have linked to adverse side effects including cancer. Firefighters across the country have found that PFAS in firefighting foam has caused their cancer diagnoses, including kidney, pancreatic, and testicular cancer.

To recover from their pain & suffering, medical treatments and monitoring, and loss of income from their injuries, many of the  individuals currently filing firefighting foam lawsuits are seeking compensation to help them get back on their feet and back to the place they were before they were injured by toxic AFFF.

Hold Those Responsible for Their Actions

Filing a claim many not only help you recover compensation for your injuries but could hold the party responsible for your injuries accountable for their negligence. Many times when companies are called out in lawsuits and in court for negligence it can prompt them to update regulations and enforce policies to protect future consumers from harm.

According to allegations, manufacturers of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) have known for over 50 years that PFAS in their foam was toxic and caused severe side effects. However, the labeling or instructions on AFFF never warned consumers about the health impact of PFAS in firefighting foam. Because they knowingly sold toxic firefighting and failed to warn consumers about the health risks of using the foam, manufacturers of toxic AFFF could be considered negligent in the court of law and liable for people’s AFFF injuries.

No Money Out of Pocket

Many lawyers, like the ones who have teamed up with Justice for Firefighters, work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you never pay anything out of pocket for legal services in your case; your attorney only is paid when they win or settle your case, and they money paid to them comes out of the amount awarded to you by the court or through a settlement. If you choose to file a firefighting foam lawsuit through Justice for Firefighters, we work on a contingency fee basis to ensure you never have to stress of paying for legal services on your own dime.

Experienced Legal Team on Your Side

The thought of filing a lawsuit may seem scary or like too much stress to injured individuals. Some try to represent themselves in a product liability case and quickly become overwhelmed with the task of defending their rights in court. That is why many choose to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer to handle their claim. An attorney with years of experience handling product liability cases will be knowledgeable about how to approach defending your case, battling the insurance companies, and fighting for your rights in court. A reputable personal injury attorney will have the legal know-how necessary to maximize your chances at recovery and healing. Many individuals who have chosen to file a firefighting foam lawsuit have chosen to hire attorneys to ensure their voice is heard in court and those responsible for their injuries are held accountable. If you are interested in talking more with an attorney about whether you may be eligible for compensation for your AFFF injuries, reach out to us today at 1.800.935.3533.