Firefighting Foam Lawsuit

AFFF Firefighter Cancer Lawyers Review Cases Nationwide

The product liability lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. provide free consultations for individuals throughout the United States who have been diagnosed with cancer that may have been caused by side effects of chemicals in AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam).

This fire suppression foam has been used for decades at military bases, airports and by civilian firefighting organizations during training exercises and in response to fuel-based fires, which can not be controlled by water alone. However, firefighters were not warned about dangerous chemicals that are known to accumulate in the body and may cause a risk of cancer or other disease.

All fire foam cancer cases are pursued by our lawyers under a contingency fee agreement, which means that there are never any out-of-pocket costs to hire our law firm and we only receive an attorney fee or expenses if a settlement or recovery is obtained for you and your family.

Call 1-800-522-0102 or request a free case evaluation to get started today!

Latest Firefighting Foam Lawsuit Update: Fall 2022

• As of September 15, 2022, more than 3,000 AFFF lawsuits have been filed throughout the federal court system, including firefighter cancer lawsuits and water contamination lawsuits being pursued against manufacturers of the firefighting foam.
• U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel is presiding over all pretrial proceedings in the District of South Carolina, as part of an MDL or multidistrict litigation.
• The first firefighting foam bellwether trials are expected to begin in mid-2023, to help gauge how juries are likely to respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout thousands of cases.
• Firefighting foam lawyers are still investigating and pursuing new lawsuits for firefighters diagnosed with testicular cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, lymphoma, leukemia or other tumors following exposure to PFAS chemicals in AFFF.

October 2022 Update: An AFFF lawsuit over water contamination in Stuart, Florida has been selected for the first bellwether trial, which will go before a jury in June 2023 to help the parties gauge how juries are likely to respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be brought against the manufacturers of firefighting foam and toxic PFAS chemicals.

September 2022 Update: Judge Gergel has denied an attempt by 3M Company to escape liability in AFFF lawsuits under a government contractor defense, finding that the manufacturer failed to disclose information to the U.S. government or scientific community about the risks associated with PFAS chemicals in the firefighting foam. This important ruling will allow thousands of claims to move forward and hold the firefighting foam manufacturers accountable for placing profits before the safety of firefighters and others.

Fire Fighting Foam Health Risks

AFFF foams were first introduced in the 1960s and designed specifically for use on petroleum-based fires where traditional water suppression alone would be ineffective and inadvisable. They have been in use for decades by both military and civilian firefighters in response to Class B fires.

The firefighting foam contains chemicals known as poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), which include perfluoroctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA).

These fire foam chemicals have been found to bind to proteins in the blood, as well as leach into drinking water supplies and into the soil. They are not biodegradable and are projected to take thousands of years to degrade, earning the nickname “forever chemicals”.

Prior to the use of PFAS in AFFF, the chemicals have not been widely found or detected in the human body. However, the fire foam chemicals are toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that have been linked to a number of health effects, including liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression and cancer.

Manufacturers of AFFF foam knew or should have known for decades that PFAS chemicals may persist over long periods of time and accumulate in the body of firefighters and others who come into contact with the chemicals, yet warnings do not adequately disclose the unreasonable risk to human health from firefighting foam.

AFFF Firefighting Foam Cancer Risk

PFAS in firefighting foam are entirely human-made chemicals, and were not widely detected in the blood of humans before the commercial development of the firefighting foams.

For decades, studies have found that exposure to PFAS can cause tumors in animals. As a result, scientific principals should have led manufacturers to recognize the potential link between AFFF foam and cancer in humans, since the precise mechanism of action was never confirmed in animal studies. However, despite the risk for firefighters, military and airport personnel, information and warnings have been withheld for decades.

AFFF was commercially introduced in the mid-1960s, and became widely used by firefighting organizations and at military bases.

By the end of the 1960s, animal toxicity testing found that exposure to PFAS chemicals resulted in adverse health effects among laboratory animals, including toxic side effects to testicles, liver, adrenals and other organs.

By the end of the 1970s, additional research found that the unique chemical structure may cause PFAS used in AFFF to bind to proteins in the blood of animals and humans exposed to the material, which can remain and persist over long periods of time. Although it was known that the AFFF chemicals may accumulate in the body and blood with each additional exposure, manufacturers continued to market and sell the firefighting foam without adequate warnings and precautions for firefighters.

By the 1980s, researchers had gone as far as to identify the mechanism of action which led to PFAS causing an increased cancer risk.

When regulatory agencies in the U.S., including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) raised concerns, many manufacturers reassured them there was no risk of adverse health effects or environmental damage; claims which have largely since been proven false.

By 2010, additional research and testing found multiple potential side effects among workers exposed to PFAS, such as increased cancer incidence, hormone changes, lipid changes and impacts to the thyroid and liver.

By the mid 2010s, an independent science panel determined that human exposure to only 0.05 parts per billion of one PFAS, PFOA, had probable links to kidney cancer, testicular cancer and other disease.

Firefighting Foam Water Contamination Lawsuits

Millions of individuals have also been exposed to Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other toxic chemicals released in to tap water near military bases and other communities.

PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuit

The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are investigating PFAS water contamination lawsuits for individuals throughout the United States who have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer and other diseases caused by the side effects of toxic PFAS chemicals entering public and private drinking water systems.

To date, over 2,800 locations in the U.S. have confirmed PFAS water contamination in public and private water systems, which include nearly 400 military installations.

Many of the cases are being pursued by residents who lived in communities surrounding PFAS manufacturers, such as 3M and Dupont, or in areas known to have high levels of PFAS contaminated water, such as military bases, airports and other firefighting training locations where toxic chemicals entered the drinking water from AFFF foam run-off.

Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Lawsuit

Camp Lejeune toxic water lawsuits are also being investigated for veterans, their families and contractors who worked or lived at Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River in North Carolina between 1953 and 1987. It is projected that over one million individuals were exposed to contaminated water containing harmful chemicals at levels that were between 200x – 300x higher than what is permitted by environmental safety regulations.

Recent EPA required testing has identified that between 1953 and 1987 the military base Camp Lejeune and nearby Marine Corps Air Station New River suffered from multiple sources of water contamination from firefighting foam run-off, underground chemical and fuel leaks and other sources releasing Trichloroethylene (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene, Vinyl chloride (VC), Benzene and over 70 other hazardous chemicals. Many of which are linked to cancer, birth defects and other serious health issues.

No Fees or Expenses Unless You Receive a Firefighting Foam Settlement

Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. is a nationally known law firm that is focused exclusively on representing individuals, we do not represent corporations or insurance companies.

Over the course of nearly 50 years, clients of our law firm have collected more than $1 billion in financial compensation and settlements for cases involving product liability, medical malpractice and other personal injury lawsuits,

All firefighting foam cancer cases are being investigated by our law firm on a contingency fee basis. There are never any out-of-pocket costs to hire our lawyers, and we receive no fees or expenses unless a recovery is obtained.

Protect your family and find out if you or a loved one may be entitled to a firefighting foam cancer settlement.