3M To Pay PFAS Firefighting Foam Personal Injury Plaintiffs With $7.35 Billion Settlement

PENSACOLA, Fla., Nov. 4, 2026

Levin Papantonio is proud to announce that 3M has agreed to pay up to $7.35 billion to settle almost all PFAS-related personal injury claims arising from contamination by aqueous film-forming foam, also known as firefighting foam. This follows a $12.5 billion settlement recovered on behalf of PFAS-impacted water utilities.

These claims in the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Multidistrict Litigation (AFFF MDL) allege that individuals developed cancer or other serious diseases after being exposed to PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam, either through their occupation or through contaminated groundwater near areas such as military bases, airports, or other industrial sites.

Our attorneys, Wes Bowden and Ned McWilliams, have been committed to helping those affected by these forever chemicals seek justice and compensation, and have served in leadership roles throughout this litigation. Bowden serves on the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee, and McWilliams on the Science and Discovery Committees. They drove much of the discovery and expert work that resulted in the settlement announced this week, as well as a $12.5 billion settlement that was secured in 2023 for public water providers.

Our law firm also filed more than 6,000 lawsuits on behalf of clients suffering from kidney and testicular cancer.

The recent settlement will address roughly 99% of personal injury claims both within and outside the MDL. It is believed to impact about 115,000 to 120,000 eligible plaintiffs.

“This settlement is a tremendous and well-deserved result for our clients,” Bowden said. “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.”

“The plaintiffs in this case have suffered significant physical, mental, emotional, and financial challenges as a result of the PFAS they were exposed to. The settlement is a great acknowledgment of their hardships and will provide some relief to their experiences,” McWilliams said.

The MDL is In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, No. 2873, in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.

Founded in 1955 in Pensacola, Florida, Levin Papantonio represents individuals and
families in personal injury, mass tort, and consumer protection litigation against some
of the largest corporations in the country. Working alongside co-counsel nationwide,
the firm has helped recover more than $80 billion on behalf of clients across major
multidistrict litigation, including talc, opioids, environmental, and product
liability matters.

Wes Bowden and Ned McWilliams are shareholders at Levin Papantonio.

Bowden has been involved in multiple mass tort cases involving environmental contamination. In 2016, he was part of the trial team that secured a $5.6 million verdict on behalf of an Ohio resident who developed cancer after consuming PFOA (C8) that was discharged into the air and water by a manufacturing plant. The following year, he served as co-counsel in a case that resulted in a $12.5 million verdict for a client who was diagnosed with cancer after drinking water contaminated by PFOA (C8).

McWilliams litigates pharmaceutical, environmental, and personal injury cases across the country. He has been appointed to leadership roles in many of the largest mass-tort cases in the country.