Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed by firefighters and other people who were exposed to AFFF (firefighting foam), which contain toxic cancer-causing PFAS chemicals.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting firefighting foam induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know is a firefighter who was exposed to AFFF (firefighting foam) or toxic PFAS chemicals, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
What is the Problem?
Firefighting foam, also known as Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF), is used by firefighters to put out liquid fuel fires. Unfortunately, AFFF foam contains highly-toxic chemicals that can cause numerous health problems for firefighters, including cancer. PFAS chemicals, also known as “forever chemicals,” accumulate in the human body, particularly the blood, kidneys and liver. PFAS chemicals also pollute the environment, where they take thousands of years to decay.
Tyco Pays $17 Million in Firefighting Foam Class Action
In January 2021, Tyco Fire Products paid a $17.5 million firefighting foam settlement after PFAS chemical spills from their fire training facility contaminated drinking water for the city of Peshtigo, Wisconsin.
Settlement Amounts in Firefighting Foam Class Action
Tyco’s settlement amounts averaged $60,000 to $70,000 per home, depending on the level of water contamination.
Tyco also agreed to pay a $2.5 million settlement to people with testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, or pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy).
New York Firefighters Class Action Lawsuit
In May 2020, a group of firefighters in New York filed a seeking payment for ongoing medical monitoring after they were exposed to toxic chemicals in firefighting foam (AFFF), including routine check-ups for cancer. The Firefighter Class Action Lawsuit was filed on May 27, 2020 against 3M Company and other manufacturers of AFFF foam. — Case Number 1:20-CV-02344.
Firefighting Foam Cancer & Other Health Problems
Exposure to PFAS chemicals may cause firefighters to develop:
- Cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Thyroid disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- High blood pressure
- Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy)
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Liver problems
- And more
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — What Are the Health Effects of PFAS?
Hundreds of Firefighter Lawsuits Centralized in Multi-District Litigation (MDL)
In December 2018, all fire fighter foam lawsuits nationwide were centralized in a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Over the next 2 years, more than 900 firefighting foam lawsuits were centralized in the MDL. The lawsuits allege that drinking water was contaminated with PFAS chemicals in areas where firefighting foam was used.
AFFF Firefighting Foam MDL
Instead of a class action, firefighters are filing individual lawsuits into a coordinated Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for South Carolina — Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation MDL No. 2873.
Can I Join a Class Action Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm, but we are not filing a firefighter class action lawsuit. Instead, we are helping firefighters file individual lawsuits and join the firefighter MDL in South Carolina, for injuries related to firefighting foam (AFFF).
About Class Actions
Class actions are useful when a lot of people are seeking a relatively minor payout, such as a refund for buying a defective product. The problem is that class actions have major disadvantages for individual people who have very severe injuries, or long-term medical expenses.
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action
When a class action ends in a settlement, the payout is typically divided among everyone who joins the class action, after lawyers take a cut. This is why many payouts from class actions are so small.
Instead of a class action, our lawyers focus on helping each client maximize their payout by filing individual lawsuits. If you or a loved one is a firefighter who developed cancer or other health problems after being exposed to firefighting foam, we may be able to help you.
Do I have a Firefighter Class Action Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting firefighting foam induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know is a firefighter who was exposed to AFFF (firefighting foam) or toxic PFAS chemicals, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Class Action Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
