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.

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.

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.

Military Exposure to Toxic Firefighting Foam

For military firefighters, aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) has been a staple in fighting fires on military bases. In the 1970’s the Department of defense began using AFFF to fight fuel fighters, and firefighting foam has been used in the military for both training to fight and fighting actual fires. For decades military firefighters actively handled and were exposed to AFFF on a daily basis, service members under the impression that the foam was not a hazard to their own health.

However, unknown to military firefighters, for nearly 60 years AFFF foam has contained toxic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, while highly durable and effective in smothering fires, have been found to increase exposed individuals’ risk of a number of severe health conditions, namely cancer. In recent years increasing numbers of military firefighters have discovered their testicular, kidney, and liver cancers were caused by their exposure to PFAS in firefighting foam.

If you or a loved one was exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam while serving in the military, you may be at an increased risk of developing cancer. We are currently investigating claims on behalf of both civilian and military firefighters who developed cancer after being exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam.

PFAS in Military Firefighting Foam

For decades the military has used firefighting foam containing PFAS, highly resistant man-made chemicals. Reportedly the U.S. Navy developed AFFF in the 1960’s, and since it has been used by military firefighters, mainly for fires involving jet fuel and gasoline. Structurally PFAS are designed to be resistant to oil, grease, water, and heat, making them effective in smothering fires.

However, studies link exposure to PFAS to a number of health concerns, some of them deadly. Because of their durable nature, PFAS have been found to build up inside of the body and not break down over time, causing concerning side effects. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) categorized PFAS as an “emerging contaminant,” and have even linked the PFAS exposure to certain cancers. Firefighters who have come forward with firefighting foam lawsuits claim PFAS in AFF caused cancer diagnoses including testicular, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer.

In December 2019 the U.S. Senate decided to phase out military use of PFAS-based firefighting foam after recognizing the cancer risk caused by PFAS. However, this phasing out will not start until 2024. According to the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), the military uses 75% of all firefighting foam. In fact, reportedly the U.S. Department of Defense stockpiled thousands of gallons of firefighting foam for military use over the decades. Given the length of time the AFFF containing PFAS has been used in military circles, thousands of military firefighters over the years could be at risk of developing cancer from their exposure to toxic firefighting foam.

Military Firefighters at Risk

A recent report states that “Firefighters are particularly at risk from PFAS exposure because they are exposed to AFFF during both training and actual fires.” Military firefighters that belong or used to belong to the following branches of the military may be at an increased risk of developing cancer from PFAS in firefighting foam:

Were You a Firefighter in the U.S. Military?

If you developed cancer after being exposed to AFFF firefighting foam in the military, don't suffer in silence. Research is showing firefighting foam manufacturers knew about the health risks of PFAS for decades and failed to disclose the risks to the public. Their negligence should not define your suffering; we can help you hold them accountable for their failure to protect you. To see if you may be entitled to compensation for your firefighting foam injuries, contact the advocates with Justice for Firefighters today. We offer free, no-obligation case evaluations and have legal representatives standing by 24/7 for your convenience.

Which Companies are Responsible for PFAS in Firefighting Foam?

In recent years researchers have found that chemicals in firefighting foams, or aqueous film forming foams (AFFF), are potentially carcinogenic and may contribute to firefighters and exposed individuals’ cancer diagnoses. For decades many of the most popular firefighting foams on the market have contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chemicals which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate can cause cancer and other adverse symptoms in those exposed. Some of the most at-risk individuals for firefighting foam cancer are military, local, and industrial firefighters.

According to firefighting foam cancer lawsuits being filed across the nation, AFFF manufacturers knew about the dangers of PFAS chemicals for decades, potentially back to when they were first introduced in the 1940’s. However, these companies continued to make and sell them without properly warning the public about the health risks. For example, the state of New Hampshire is suing eight companies for PFAS in firefighting foams, saying that their products were defective and unreasonable dangerous to consumers and users.

Firefighting Foam Manufacturers

If a company failed to take proper precautions to protect consumers from health risks, they can be held responsible for your injuries. Some manufacturers named as defendants in firefighting foam lawsuits across the nation include the following:

Were You Diagnosed with Cancer After Exposure to AFFF?

If you are a firefighter, were exposed to PFAS in firefighting foam, and developed cancer, you may be eligible to file a claim against companies that made firefighting foam and contributed to your injuries.

A company’s lack of proper safety warning should never define your suffering and injuries. Hold the negligent responsible and call us today. The personal injury attorneys at Justice for Firefighters have decades of combined experience fighting for the rights of injured individuals. For your free case consultation, contact us today at 1.800.935.3533.