3M Settles PFAS Firefighting Foam Injury Claims with $7.35B Deal

3M has agreed to pay up to $7.35 billion over nine years to settle most personal injury claims related to PFAS contamination from aqueous film-forming foam, often referred to as firefighting foam.

This deal addresses roughly 99% of claims, both inside and outside the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Multidistrict Litigation (AFFF MDL), which is believed to impact about 115,000 to 120,000 eligible plaintiffs. 3M said in a news release that the settlement is not an admission of its liability.

Levin Papantonio (LP) has been involved with PFAS litigation for over a decade, helping secure justice and compensation for public water providers and individuals affected by these forever chemicals.

LP attorneys Wes Bowden and Ned McWilliams served in leadership roles in the AFFF MDL and spearheaded discovery and expert work, which led to the $12.5 billion settlement secured for public water providers in 2023, as well as the deal announced this week for firefighting foam personal-injury claimants.

LP has filed more than 6,000 lawsuits on behalf of clients suffering from kidney and testicular cancer.

Bowden said the 3M settlement is a “tremendous and well-deserved” result for the plaintiffs.  

“These people were harmed for doing their jobs — firefighters and service members — or simply just living life in their communities. This settlement can’t undo the harm they have experienced, but it’s a step in the right direction,” he said.

McWilliams said the plaintiffs in this case have suffered significant physical, emotional, and financial hardships due to the diseases they developed from their exposure to PFAS in the foam.

“This settlement is a great acknowledgment of their hardships and will provide some relief to their experiences,” McWilliams said.

The MDL, formally named In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, is centralized in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

The firefighting foam lawsuits allege that individuals developed cancer or other serious diseases after being exposed to PFAS chemicals in the firefighting foam. This exposure occurred either through their occupation or through contaminated groundwater near military bases, airports, or other industrial sites where this foam was used.