Firefighter Cancer Lawsuit

Lawsuits have been filed by firefighters who developed cancer after being exposed to firefighting foams or Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF).

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting cancer induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know is a firefighter who was diagnosed with cancer after being exposed to firefighting foam (AFFF) or PFAS chemicals, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Toxic Chemical Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

What is the Problem?

Firefighters suffer from disproportionately high rates of cancer according to the CDC — including many types of cancer that have been strongly linked to PFAS exposure in firefighting foams (AFFF).

Why Do Firefighters Use AFFF (Firefighting Foam)?

Firefighting foam, or Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), is used by fire departments to put out liquid fuel fires — especially fires involving petroleum or jet fuel that are not easily extinguished with water alone. AFFF is also used at airports, military bases, and fire training facilities.

Firefighting Foam and PFAS Carcinogens

Firefighting foam contains cancer-causing chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These chemicals are known as “forever chemicals” because they accumulate in the human body. Over time, people with high levels of PFAS in their body are at risk of cancer and other severe, life-threatening health problems.

What Firefighters Are At Risk?

Firefighters who use AFFF foam routinely have the greatest risk of PFAS exposure, but many other firefighters are exposed during routine training exercises. Firefighters who work at airports and military bases may be exposed to higher levels of PFAS chemicals.

Firefighters at risk of PFAS exposure include:

Civilian firefighters
Military personnel
Airport firefighters
People who decontaminate firefighting equipment
People who work in fire training facilities

Firefighter Cancer Lawsuits Are Being Filed Nationwide

A growing number of firefighters and fire departments have filed lawsuits against the manufacturers of firefighting foam. In many lawsuits and class actions, firefighters are seeking financial compensation for a cancer diagnosis, or lifelong medical monitoring to screen for cancer. Here are a few examples of firefighter cancer lawsuits:

In May 2020, a lawsuit was filed by a group of firefighters in New York who were exposed to toxic chemicals in firefighting foam (AFFF) — Case Number 1:20-CV-02344
In October 2020, a lawsuit was filed by a Texas firefighter who was diagnosed with skin cancer after being exposed to the toxic chemicals in firefighting foam — Case Number 2:20-cv-03518-RMG
In December 2020, a lawsuit was filed by a firefighter from Florida who developed kidney cancer and had to have his kidney removed after being exposed to firefighting foam — Case Number 2:20-cv-04248-RMG

Firefighter Cancer MDL

U.S. District Judge Richard B. Gergel oversees roughly 1,000 lawsuits for individual firefighters with cancer after being exposed to PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam, as well as PFAS drinking water lawsuits

Firefighter cancer lawsuits have been centralized as part of a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for South Carolina — Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 2873.

Firefighter Turnout Gear Also Contains PFAS

Turnout gear that firefighters must wear is another source of cancer-causing PFAS exposure. Textile suppliers for the entire fire industry use high level of PFAS in the fabrics for water, oil, or chemical resistance. Unfortunately, studies also show at PFAS can transfer from the outer shell or the moisture barrier to the inner liner, in direct contact with a firefighters’ skin.

List of Firefighter Cancers Linked to AFFF Foam Exposure

Kidney cancer
Testicular cancer
Thyroid cancer
Prostate cancer
Ovarian cancer
Bladder cancer
Skin cancer
Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
Pancreatic cancer
Breast cancer
Liver cancer
Blood cancers
Leukemia
Colorectal cancer (colon and/or rectal cancer)
And more

What Do Lawsuits Allege?

Lawsuits claim that 3M, DuPont, and other companies that made firefighting foam failed to warn about the risk of cancer from chemicals like PFAS and PFOS.

Firefighting Foam Lawsuit Settlement Amount – $17.5 Million

One of the first AFFF lawsuit settlements was a $17.5 million payout from Tyco Fire Products, a company that contaminated drinking water with PFOS chemicals from firefighting foam runoff at a firefighter training facility.

$2.5 Million Cash Payouts for Disease in 1st Firefighting Foam Settlement

In January 2021, Tyco Fire Products agreed to provide $2.5 million in cash payouts to the residents of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, who developed cancer and other health problems after being exposed to PFOS chemicals from the use of firefighting foam.

The list of health problems covered under the settlement include testicular cancer, kidney cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease and preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).

The settlement also paid $15 million for property damage, such as unusable wells, for an estimated payout of $60,000-$70,000 per home, with around 270 households affected by the contamination.

Do I have a Firefighter Cancer Lawsuit?

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