Have you been exposed to Aqueous Fire-Fighting Foam, or AFFF?
Danger is always present in a firefighter’s life. One risk they never predicted, however, was that the tools they were given to save the lives of others were actually harming them.
Aqueous Fire-Fighting Foam was a staple in firefighting for decades but its toxic nature was not made known to the firefighters handling it. AFFF was often the first line of defense in extinguishing flammable liquid fires. The chemicals in the foam have been found to be so toxic that 3M, the primary manufacturer of this foam, agreed to phase out production of this foam in 2000, although DuPont continued to produce the chemical along with other companies.
Our firm is currently accepting new Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) cases on behalf of fire fighters who used AFFF and developed testicular cancer, kidney cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, and other cancers.
These injuries have been linked to exposure to PFAS, the dangerous group of chemical surfactants found in AFFF. We continue to learn more about PFAS and its dangers every day as new literature is published. A recent study of fire fighters in Australia found that those fire fighters had elevated levels of PFAS in their blood. While most of the general population has some levels of PFAS in their blood, this study confirms that fire fighters are at a particular risk for developing PFAS related injuries.
Dozens of depositions have been taken and over a million documents have been reviewed by Plaintiffs’ leadership. The process to select bellwether trial cases will likely start later this year. In addition to claims on behalf of fire fighters exposed to AFFF, the litigation contains claims filed by individuals who have consumed water contaminated with AFFF/PFAS as well as water authorities whose water systems have been contaminated by AFFF/PFAS.
One of the first settlements involving AFFF causing injuries to individuals was just reached earlier this month between residents in a Wisconsin town and an AFFF manufacturer. The residents’ water became contaminated with PFAS through the use of AFFF at a nearby fire training center. While this settlement did not involve fire fighters, the defendant manufacturer agreed to compensate victims who drank PFAS-contaminated water and developed testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, and ulcerative colitis. The injuries that were covered in that settlement are the same injuries that we are evaluating in firefighters in connection with their AFFF/PFAS exposure.
If you have been diagnosed with one of these forms of cancer after significant use of AFFF, contact Cordisco & Saile here a free consultation, to see if we can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
