Firefighter Foam (AFFF)

● CAMPAIGN OPEN SETTLEMENT / ACTIVE LITIGATION 27 signals
Kidney Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Thyroid Disease  ·  PFAS-based Firefighting Foam
DEFENDANT
3M / DuPont / Chemours / Tyco
MDL / DOCKET
MDL 2873
D. South Carolina
JUDGE
Hon. Richard Gergel
PLAINTIFFS
12,000+
BELLWETHER / TRIAL
Personal injury trials 2025–2026
SETTLEMENT STATUS
3M $10.3B (water systems); personal injury ongoing
📋 Case Overview

Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) contains PFAS chemicals used by military bases and airports for decades. 3M and DuPont/Chemours manufactured AFFF knowing PFAS bioaccumulate and cause cancer. Water system contamination settlements totaling $10.3B (3M) have been reached; personal injury cases for kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and thyroid disease are actively proceeding.

⚗ CAUSATION SUMMARY

PFOA and PFOS (the primary PFAS in AFFF) are EPA-designated probable carcinogens. Kidney cancer and testicular cancer have the strongest epidemiological support. Bradford Hill criteria are well-developed. Occupational exposure (military firefighters, airport personnel) is the primary campaign track; water contamination near bases is secondary.

⚖️ Litigation Status GROWING — PERSONAL INJURY TRACK
MDL / Court
MDL 2873 — Active (D.S.C., Judge Gergel)
Active Plaintiffs
12,000+ personal injury

Water system contamination cases largely resolved ($10.3B 3M settlement, $1.18B DuPont). Personal injury cases (kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid) are the active litigation frontier. Bellwether personal injury trials scheduled 2025–2026.

Key Verdicts & Settlements
💰
3M $10.3B water system settlement (2023)
Covers public water utilities nationwide. Does not resolve personal injury claims.
💰
DuPont/Chemours/Corteva $1.18B settlement (2023)
Water utility settlement. Personal injury cases excluded and still active.
🏛️
Personal injury bellwether trials — 2025–2026
Kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and thyroid cases. First verdicts will set valuation benchmark.
📋
EPA MCL rule — PFOA/PFOS at 4 ppt (2024)
Strongest U.S. water quality standard ever. Strengthens causation argument and damages narrative.
📈
Filing trend: Growing. Water utility cases settled. Personal injury pipeline is building rapidly. First bellwether verdicts expected to significantly move case values and filing volume.
📍 Geographic Exposure
Military bases nationwide (highest concentration)
Peterson SFB, CO; Pease AFB, NH; Tyndall AFB, FL; Elmendorf AFB, AK
Major commercial airports
Communities near bases with contaminated groundwater
🏢 Key Defendants
DEFENDANT
ROLE
INTEL NOTE
3M Company
Primary PFAS manufacturer
$10.3B water system settlement; personal injury claims ongoing
DuPont de Nemours
PFAS/AFFF manufacturer
Significant personal injury exposure; subsidiary Chemours spun off
Chemours Company
DuPont spinoff; PFAS manufacturer
Named in personal injury cases
Tyco Fire Products
AFFF manufacturer and distributor
Named in military and airport cases
✅ Campaign Eligibility Criteria
Military service member or civilian firefighter with AFFF exposure for 1+ years
Airport/airfield personnel with documented AFFF exposure
Diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, or ulcerative colitis
Diagnosis after 1980 (primary exposure window)
These criteria reflect general case strength indicators and are not legal advice. Contact CloudIntake to screen individual claimants.
📅 Litigation Timeline
1960s
3M and DuPont develop PFAS-based AFFF for military use
1998
3M internal documents show awareness of PFAS toxicity; disclosed to EPA
2000
3M voluntarily phases out PFOS production
2016
EPA sets PFAS health advisory for drinking water at 70 ppt
2019
MDL 2873 formed in D. South Carolina
2023
3M announces $10.3B water system settlement
2024
Personal injury bellwether trials scheduled
Firefighter Foam (AFFF) — Intelligence Feed ⚖ 233 filings/30d ↑ LIVE
📰 NEWS
AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit
Mar 13, 2026 Lawsuit Information Center Read Source →
📰 NEWS
Supreme Court Refuses To Hear States’ Appeal Of Remand Ruling In AFFF Case
Mar 13, 2026 Law360 Read Source →
📰 NEWS
PFAS Settlements Debunking The Myths And Revealing What's Really At Stake For Water Utilities
Mar 13, 2026 Water Online Read Source →
📰 NEWS
PFAS, AFFF, and How Courts Are Handling Firefighter Cancer Lawsuits
Mar 13, 2026 Legal Desire Media and Insights Read Source →
📰 NEWS
Firefighter Foam Lawsuit (2026 Update & Compensation Info)
Mar 13, 2026 Schmidt & Clark, LLP Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
West Escambia Utilities Authority v. 3M Company, Inc. — District Court, S.D.
Alabama
Apr 18, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
West Escambia Utilities Authority v. 3M Company, Inc. — District Court, S.D.
Alabama
Apr 17, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
West Escambia Utilities Authority v. 3M Company, Inc. — District Court, S.D.
Alabama
Apr 16, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
West Escambia Utilities Authority v. 3M Company, Inc. — District Court, S.D.
Alabama
Apr 15, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
West Escambia Utilities Authority v. 3M Company, Inc. — District Court, S.D.
Alabama
Apr 14, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
West Escambia Utilities Authority v. 3M Company, Inc. — District Court, S.D.
Alabama
Apr 13, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Tippins v. 3M Company (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, N.D.
Alabama
Apr 12, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Tippins v. 3M Company (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, N.D.
Alabama
Apr 11, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Tippins v. 3M Company (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, N.D.
Alabama
Apr 10, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 9, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 8, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 7, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 6, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 5, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 4, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 3, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Hargraves v. 3M COMPANY (f/k/a Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co.) — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Apr 2, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Tinker v. 3M Company — District Court, N.D.
Alabama
Apr 1, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Shuff v. 3M Company — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Mar 31, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Shuff v. 3M Company — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Mar 30, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Shuff v. 3M Company — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Mar 29, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
📡 SIGNAL
Shuff v. 3M Company — District Court, D.
South Carolina
Mar 22, 2026 CourtListener / PACER Read Source →
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JACOB SCORE™
Firefighter Foam (AFFF)
76 / 100
ScienceStrong
MomentumStrong
CampaignStrong
TimelineModerate
VerdictsModerate
$10.3B WATER SETTLEMENT · PI TRIALS PENDING
Jacob Score™ — Methodology & Legal Disclaimers
The Jacob Score is a composite 1–100 litigation opportunity index for mass torts, produced by the TortIntel editorial team at Mass Tort Ad Agency. It is updated periodically as litigation conditions change.

Score Dimensions (each rated 1–5)

Science — Peer-reviewed study quality and quantity, relative risk magnitude, replication across independent research groups, FDA or regulatory action taken, and estimated Daubert survivability based on published expert testimony and prior rulings.

Momentum — MDL formation and phase, plaintiff count trajectory, case consolidation activity, and overall litigation velocity.

Campaign — Current filing window status, case saturation, defendant solvency, estimated qualifying population size, and co-defendant dynamics.

Timeline — Proximity to first expected resolution or bellwether trial, current discovery or Daubert phase, and estimated time-to-value for a signed plaintiff.

Verdicts — Confirmed plaintiff jury verdicts, bellwether trial win/loss record, and size or certainty of any established settlement fund. 1 = pre-trial · 2 = mixed early results · 3 = partial settlements or initial wins · 4 = confirmed large verdicts or funded settlement · 5 = landmark verdicts with formal settlement program.

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The Jacob Score is an editorial opinion based on publicly available data including court filings, published scientific literature, regulatory actions, and reported settlement information. It is not a guarantee of future litigation outcomes. Past verdicts and settlements are not predictive of future results in any specific case.

TortIntel.ai and Mass Tort Ad Agency make no representation that any score is complete, accurate, or current. Litigation conditions change rapidly. Attorneys must conduct independent due diligence and consult qualified co-counsel before making any case acquisition or litigation funding decisions based on this or any other intelligence tool.

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