AFFF Firefighting Foam Attorney
AFFF Lawsuit
For decades, firefighters and service members were told the foam was safe. The manufacturers' own documents say otherwise.
Aqueous film-forming foam, known as AFFF, was the standard tool for fighting fuel fires at airports, military installations, refineries, and fire departments for more than fifty years. Many formulations contain PFAS chemicals that do not break down in the body or the environment, and that have been linked to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, and other serious conditions.
Internal documents produced in the litigation show that manufacturers understood the risks long before firefighters and service members did. We represent firefighters, veterans, and their families in claims against those manufacturers, and prepare each client’s case on its own facts within the coordinated federal litigation.
Florida Rules That Shape The Case
What To Know Now.
- What AFFF Is
- Aqueous film-forming foam, used since the 1960s to fight fuel fires at airports, military bases, refineries, and fire departments. Many formulations contain PFAS, so-called forever chemicals.
- Associated Conditions
- Kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease and thyroid cancer, ulcerative colitis, and liver cancer are among the conditions at issue in the litigation.
- Where The Cases Are
- Personal injury AFFF claims are consolidated in federal multidistrict litigation (MDL 2873) in the District of South Carolina.
- Tampa Bay Connection
- MacDill Air Force Base and the region's airports and fire departments are among the sites where AFFF was used for decades.
Our Approach
How We Build An AFFF Case
- 01
Exposure History
Fire department service records, military records, training logs, and base histories establish when and how the client was exposed to aqueous film-forming foam containing PFAS chemicals.
- 02
Medical Causation
Our in-house physician consultant and RN medical review specialist review the diagnosis and treatment history and coordinate with oncologists and toxicologists on the link between PFAS exposure and the client's illness.
- 03
The Litigation
AFFF claims are consolidated in federal multidistrict litigation in South Carolina. We prepare each client's individual case for that proceeding and for trial or settlement on the client's own facts.
- 04
Damages
Medical expenses, lost earnings, and the effect of a serious illness on the client and family, along with the wrongful death claims of families who have lost someone to a PFAS-related cancer.
Questions
What Clients Ask First.
Who is eligible to bring an AFFF claim?
Firefighters, military service members, airport and refinery workers, and others who were regularly exposed to AFFF and later developed an associated illness, along with families who lost someone to such an illness. People who lived near bases or facilities where AFFF contaminated the water supply may also have claims.
Which illnesses are linked to AFFF?
The litigation focuses on kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease and cancer, ulcerative colitis, and liver cancer, among others. The list of conditions recognized in the litigation has evolved and should be confirmed for your diagnosis.
I was exposed decades ago. Is it too late?
Not necessarily. Many PFAS-related illnesses develop years after exposure, and the time to file generally runs from the diagnosis or from when the connection to AFFF reasonably could have been discovered, not from the exposure itself. Do not assume you are out of time without talking to counsel.
Who are the defendants?
The manufacturers of AFFF and of the PFAS chemicals used in it, including several of the largest chemical companies in the world. The government's own use of the foam is generally not the target of these claims.
How are AFFF cases handled?
Individual personal injury claims are consolidated in a federal multidistrict litigation in South Carolina for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings. Each client keeps an individual claim, and cases resolve through individual settlement, global settlement programs, or trial.
What does it cost to bring a claim?
AFFF cases are handled on a contingency basis with terms set out in a written agreement. The initial case review is free.
Case Types
Related Case Types.
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Motor Vehicle Accidents
Catastrophic injury claims arising from car, motorcycle, and rideshare collisions across Florida.
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Trucking Accidents
Commercial truck crashes governed by federal safety regulations, where the evidence disappears fast.
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Traumatic Brain Injury
Cases built around the lifelong consequences of brain injury, including injuries that never show on a scan.
Learn more
Free Case Review
Exposed To Firefighting Foam?
If you served or worked around AFFF and have been diagnosed with a related illness, tell us about it. The review is free.