Active lawsuitToxic & chemical exposureMDL No. 2873
AFFF firefighting foam lawsuits
Aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, is a firefighting foam used to put out fuel fires at military bases, airports and industrial sites. It has contained PFAS, a group of long-lasting man-made chemicals. People who were exposed to AFFF on the job, or who drank water contaminated by it, have filed lawsuits alleging that PFAS exposure caused serious illness. Our legal team reviews these cases. If you were exposed and diagnosed with one of the conditions below, you can ask for a free case evaluation.
write down where you worked and lived
This page summarizes what pending lawsuits allege, based on court records and official sources. Allegations in a lawsuit are not findings by a court. It's general information, not legal advice about your situation. Last reviewed October 12, 2026.
On this page
At a glance
AFFF Firefighting Foam (PFAS) Exposure Lawsuits
- Litigation
- In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2873
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Charleston Division
- Judge
- Judge Richard M. Gergel
- Centralized
- December 7, 2018
- Companies named
- Manufacturers and sellers of AFFF and of the PFAS chemicals used in it, including 3M Company and DuPont-related companies such as E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and The Chemours Company
What the lawsuits allege
- Contamination. Plaintiffs allege that AFFF containing PFAS, used at airports, military bases and certain industrial sites, released PFAS into groundwater and drinking water supplies.
- Ways people were exposed. Personal injury plaintiffs allege direct exposure from using or handling AFFF, exposure through drinking water contaminated with PFAS from AFFF, or exposure through firefighter turnout gear containing PFAS.
- Six conditions. The personal injury cases the court is managing focus on six conditions: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid cancer, liver cancer, thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis.
An MDL means many people have filed similar lawsuits. It does not mean any court has decided that AFFF caused anyone's illness.
Who may be eligible
You may be eligible for a free case evaluation if you used or were exposed to AFFF firefighting foam, such as in firefighting or military service, wore PFAS-containing turnout gear, or drank water contaminated with PFAS from AFFF, and were diagnosed with kidney, testicular, thyroid or liver cancer, thyroid disease or ulcerative colitis.
If a family member who was exposed has died, you can also ask for a free case evaluation.
Our attorneys look at
- How you were exposed, where, and for how long
- What you were diagnosed with, and when
- Records that show your service or job, or where you lived and which water system served you
What to gather for your free evaluation
The court has set specific proof requirements for these cases, so these records matter. You don't need everything to ask for an evaluation. Gather what you can.
- Records of your diagnosis, including the earliest diagnosis date
- For job exposure: military service records, firefighter or employment records, or tax forms showing the job and the years
- For drinking water exposure: proof of where you lived before your diagnosis, such as leases, deeds or utility bills, and the name of the water system or whether you had a private well
- Any water test results or notices about PFAS in your water
- Medical records documenting your treatment
- A short timeline of where you worked or lived and when you were diagnosed
Where the litigation stands
As of October 2026
- LitigationMDL No. 2873
- CourtU.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina (Charleston Division)
- JudgeJudge Richard M. Gergel
- CreatedDecember 7, 2018
As of October 2026, lawsuits allege that PFAS chemicals in AFFF used at military bases, airports and certain industrial sites contaminated groundwater and drinking water, and that exposure caused illness. The MDL is pending before Judge Richard M. Gergel in the District of South Carolina.
In Case Management Order No. 35, entered August 15, 2025, the court postponed the first personal injury bellwether trial and opened a 21-day window for filing cases. Cases filed after that window closed in September 2025 can still be filed, but they must meet added requirements, including serving medical records within 90 days and expert disclosures on causation within 120 days. Separately, settlements in the MDL with public water systems resolve those water systems' claims; they are not personal injury settlements.
What health agencies have said
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry publish information on PFAS and health. On December 1, 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified PFOA, one type of PFAS, as carcinogenic to humans, and PFOS as possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Status checked October 12, 2026. This MDL is listed as pending on the JPML report of pending MDLs dated October 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab). Court dockets change; each page shows the date it was last checked.
Questions
I was a firefighter, but I don't know if I used AFFF. Can I still ask?
Yes. Many firefighters and service members used foam without knowing its name. Tell us where and when you served, and our attorneys will review it.
I never touched the foam, but my water was contaminated. Does that count?
The lawsuits include people who allege they drank water contaminated with PFAS from AFFF. Records of where you lived and which water system served you are important.
What about the water system settlements I've heard about?
Those settlements resolve claims by public water systems. They are not personal injury settlements and don't decide individual injury claims.
Is there a deadline?
Yes. Each state sets its own filing deadline, called a statute of limitations, and an MDL does not pause it. The deadline that applies depends on your state and when you learned of your diagnosis, so it's best to ask early.
Official sources
Each link opens the original record in a new tab.
- U.S. District Court, District of South CarolinaU.S. District Court, D.S.C.: MDL 2873 Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigationscd.uscourts.gov (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. District Court, District of South CarolinaD.S.C.: Case Management Order No. 35 (filed Aug. 15, 2025)scd.uscourts.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict LitigationJPML Transfer Order, MDL No. 2873 (filed June 2, 2025), describing the scope of the MDLjpml.uscourts.gov (opens in a new tab)
- U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyU.S. EPA: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)epa.gov (opens in a new tab)
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease RegistryATSDR: PFAS and Your Healthatsdr.cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)
- International Agency for Research on CancerIARC: Monographs evaluate the carcinogenicity of PFOA and PFOS (Dec. 1, 2023)iarc.who.int (opens in a new tab)
Exposed to AFFF and diagnosed with one of these conditions?
Tell us what happened in a few sentences. Our legal team reviews every request, and we will contact you about your free case evaluation.
a few sentences is enough
A free case evaluation does not create an attorney-client relationship, does not file a claim and does not pause any deadline. We represent a client only after we both sign a written agreement.
a few sentences is enough