PFAS Lawsuit Attorney

What Can a PFAS Lawsuit Attorney Do for Me?

Joining a mass tort is not easy. There are several steps you need to take to establish the criteria, identify and value your damages, and build a strong case. However, you don’t need to handle it on your own. Our co-counsel can help you with all of the following:

• Determine whether you meet the criteria for a mass tort
• Gather the necessary evidence
• Navigate the complexities of environmental law
• Build a strong case
• Establish your recoverable damages
• Explore your options and help determine the best one for you
• Negotiate for a fair settlement
• Take your case to court

How Do I Know if I Qualify for a PFAS Lawsuit?

You may qualify for a PFAS lawsuit if you:

• Drank contaminated water
• Developed kidney cancer, liver cancer, testicular cancer, or ulcerative colitis.

To prove that you drank contaminated water, you must show that you lived or worked in an area with contaminated water. This can be challenging. Our law firm partners can handle this on your behalf.

It is typically much easier to prove a diagnosis. You only need a valid diagnosis from your doctor, which a PFAS lawsuit lawyer can show through your medical records.

What Does a PFAS Lawsuit Attorney Cost?

A forever chemicals lawsuit lawyer costs you nothing upfront. Our co-counsel doesn’t want you to worry about how you’ll afford our help; they want you focused on your recovery. To facilitate this, they only charge attorney’s fees if you recover compensation. This way, you can also be sure that our co-counsel is entirely dedicated to you and your case.

There’s no risk when you work with our law firm partners.

What Can a PFAS Lawsuit Lawyer Help Me Recover?

What an injury lawyer can help you recover depends on the specifics of your illness; however, our law firm partners often help clients recover:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Diminished earning capacity
• Out-of-pocket expenses related to your illness
• Non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, inconvenience, lost enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and development of anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

PFAS Lawsuit FAQs

Here are a few answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about PFAS.

What Settlements Have Been Reached?

As of June 2024, no recent settlements have been reached for injury cases. In 2015, Chemours (a former DuPont company) settled thousands of PFAS personal injury cases in Ohio for $670 million.

However, several multi-million and multi-billion dollar settlements have been reached between water suppliers and manufacturers:

• 3M
• DuPont
• Tyco (a subsidiary of Johnson Controls)

What Are Some Recent PFAS Settlement Updates?

• May 21, 2024: BASF, a German manufacturer, offered $316.5 million to settle a lawsuit from many different U.S. public water systems. This lawsuit alleged that BASF contaminated groundwater with AFFF, according to an Associated Press article published on Fast Company.
• April 12, 2024: Several U.S. public water systems and Tyco, a Johnson Controls subsidiary, settled for $750 million, according to an article in Reuters. The water systems alleged that Tyco’s firefighting foam contaminated public water supplies.
• April 1, 2024: Richard Gergel, U.S. District Court Judge for the District of South Carolina, finalized the $10.3 billion settlement between 3M and several water suppliers in the United States. The settlement could increase depending on what contamination testing uncovers.
• February 8, 2024: Judge Gergel finalized the $1.18 billion settlement between three manufacturers and several water utilities, per The Hill.
• November 29, 2023: The State of Ohio and DuPont reached a $110 million settlement for approximately 70 years of contamination.
• June 22, 2023: 3M reached a $10.3 billion settlement with water companies.
• June 2, 2023: DuPont and other manufacturers reached a $1.18 billion settlement to resolve water contamination claims.
• December 10, 2019: Michigan and Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. reached a $69.5 million settlement for groundwater contamination claims.

Are There Any Ongoing Lawsuits?

Yes. As of June 2024, there are several ongoing lawsuits and multidistrict litigation (MDLs).

• North Carolina MDL: A federal judge consolidated more than 100,000 forever chemicals lawsuits against E.I.  DuPont de Nemours and Co. and The Chemours Co. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
• South Carolina MDL: Hundreds of cases are currently ongoing within an MDL in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. MDL 2873 includes lawsuits from water utilities seeking compensation for cleanup costs and personal injury lawsuits seeking compensation for the development of serious illnesses. Defendants include 3M, Chemours, Corteva, and DuPont de Nemours.
• Lawsuits from states, cities, and towns: There are several ongoing lawsuits that states and municipalities have filed against manufacturers. Some examples include:
  • The city of Wausau sued 15 manufacturers and 61 insurance companies for PFAS contamination.
  • The city of Eau Claire filed a water contamination lawsuit against PFAS manufacturers.

What Are Forever Chemicals?

Forever chemicals are a group of approximately 15,000 synthetic chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, oil, grease, and stains.

They are called forever chemicals because they take so long to break down (if they break down at all). This means they can remain in the soil, water supply, and our bodies forever.

What Are the PFAS Lawsuits Based On?

Plaintiffs are basing their lawsuits on negligence, creating a public nuisance through water contamination and knowingly contaminating water supplies.

How Long Have Manufacturers Known About the Dangers of PFAS?

While manufacturers still claim they were unaware of the dangers of PFAS, a ProPublica article from May 2024 alleges that 3M has known about—and covered up—the dangers of PFOS since the 1970s.

PFOS Caused Liver Damage and Death to Rat Subjects

3M scientists performed studies on rats in the late 1970s, testing the effects of feeding PFOS to rats daily. The study found that, with a low dose of PFOS, the rats showed signs of possible liver damage—and half the rats died. With a higher dose, all the rats died.

A 1979 internal 3M report said that PFOS was “certainly more toxic than anticipated” and suggested more long-term testing.

During that same year, 3M executives consulted respected toxicologist Harold Hodge; however, they only told him half of the information they knew—that PFOS had caused liver abnormalities in workers and killed rats. Per a memo marked “CONFIDENTIAL,” Hodge recommended that the executives do further testing into whether PFOS could affect reproduction or cause cancer.

After reviewing more of the data, he stated that they needed to determine whether PFOS was found in humans and, “If the levels are high and widespread and the half-life is long, we could have a serious problem.”

This warning was left out of official meeting notes, and 3M increased its PFAS production.

Chemists Found PFAS in the General Population in 1997

In 1997, 3M supervisor Jim Johnson approached chemist Kris Hansen about testing human blood for fluorochemicals. He explained that PFOS typically found its way into workers’ bloodstreams but that the chemical was harmless. However, he wanted to test the levels in their blood, so 3M hired an outside lab.

The lab tested the samples against blood from the American Red Cross and found contaminants in the samples from both the workers and the general public.

Johnson wanted Hansen to determine whether the outside lab had made a mistake. After testing several batches of blood with several different techniques over several weeks, she and her team found that all the samples were contaminated. She reported her findings to Johnson, who took early retirement soon afterward. Other 3M supervisors suggested that she may have made a mistake or contaminated the samples.

3M never admitted to Hansen that PFOS was toxic.

Do Certain Areas of the United States Have Higher Levels of PFAS?

Yes. A United States Geological Survey study found that PFAS exposure is typically higher in urban areas and from PFAS sources such as manufacturing plants, airports, firefighting training facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, landfills, and military bases.

It also found that PFAS levels were higher on the Eastern Seaboard, in Southern and Central California, the Great Lakes, and the Great Plains.

What Adverse Effects Are PFAS Associated With?

There are several illnesses and adverse effects associated with these manufactured chemicals. The effects differ by the type of forever chemical. Here are a few PFAS and their associated conditions:

PFDA

Perfluorodecanoic acid, used in firefighting foam, cosmetics, and apparel, has been linked to increased cholesterol levels and a lower antibody response with some vaccines.

It was also used in food packaging.

PFHxS

Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid is used in the production of other forever chemicals.

This forever chemical has been linked to:

• Changes in liver enzymes
• A lower antibody response with specific vaccines

PFNA

Perfluorononanoic acid, used as a polishing and fire extinguisher surfactant, cleaning agent, lubricating oil, and in the manufacture of fluoropolymers, has been linked to higher cholesterol levels.

PFOA

This forever chemical (perfluorooctanoic acid) is used in non-stick cookware and protective coatings for upholstery and carpets (e.g., Scotchgard). Manufacturers also used it in Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (firefighting foam or AFFF) until 2001. PFOA has been linked to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, a lower antibody response to certain vaccines, liver enzyme changes, higher cholesterol levels, preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and slightly decreased birth weight.

PFOS

Perfluorooctanoic acid is also used in protective coatings like Scotchgard and non-stick cookware and was also used in firefighting foam until 2001.

PFOS has been linked to:

• Increased risk of testicular cancer
• Lower antibody response with certain vaccines
• Changes in liver enzymes
• Higher levels of cholesterol
• Preeclampsia
• Slightly decreased birth weight
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension

Some PFAS have been linked to liver cancer and ulcerative colitis.

How Long Do I Have to File a PFAS Lawsuit?

How long you have to file a PFAS lawsuit depends on where you live. Each state has a time limit for filing a lawsuit called a statute of limitations. If you fail to file within this time limit, you risk recovering nothing.