Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic “forever chemicals” that have been used in consumer and commercial products since the 1950s, including firefighting foam. But extensive research has linked them to numerous cancers and serious health conditions, and those in certain industries, especially firefighting and aerospace, face greater risks of exposure.
While legislation and regulations have limited or restricted use of products containing PFAS, such protections came far too late for tens of thousands of Americans. As a result, toxic exposure lawsuits involving the dangerous chemicals in firefighting foam have been piling up since 2017.
Once the scale of harm became obvious, the cases were consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) to streamline the legal process.
Now, after years of waiting, individuals who are part of the PFAS firefighting foam MDL are approaching what could be one of the most important phases in the nationwide litigation: the start of bellwether trials.
More than 15,000 firefighters, military veterans, airport workers, and residents who lived near military installations, airports, or manufacturing facilities have filed lawsuits in the toxic exposure MDL. They allege that 3M, DuPont, Chemours, and Tyco, manufacturers of a once widely used firefighting foam, aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), are liable for their chronic illnesses and cancers.
The start of AFFF bellwether trials, which were initially supposed to begin in October 2025, mark a critical step in the legal process. These sorts of test trials show how evidence and arguments play out in court, and the amount of compensation, if any, plaintiffs could be awarded.
AFFF firefighting foam manufacturers have previously settled with municipalities for more than $10 billion to compensate for groundwater contamination. But the current toxic exposure litigation is focused on addressing individual harm.
What are the PFAS Firefighting Foam Lawsuits About?
The PFAS firefighting foam lawsuits center around AFFF, which has been used for decades to extinguish fuel-based fires at military bases, airports, industrial sites, and firefighter training facilities.
As of May 2026, the AFFF firefighting foam MDL has more than 15,000 plaintiffs. They claim forever chemicals in the foam, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), accumulated in groundwater and drinking water, and eventually, their bodies.
Plaintiffs allege PFAS in firefighting foam caused serious health conditions, such as kidney, testicular, thyroid, and liver cancer, ulcerative colitis, and other chronic conditions. The toxic exposure MDL has become one of the largest active mass torts in the country.
Many of the plaintiffs in the firefighting foam litigation are former military firefighters or civilians who worked around the toxic materials for years without being warned of the potential risks. Others are residents who lived near where AFFF was used, claiming it contaminated their drinking water and caused them harm.
The AFFF firefighting foam manufacturers – 3M, DuPont, Chemours, and Tyco – involved in the MDL have already begun paying claims brought by municipalities seeking compensation for contamination cleanup costs. 3M alone previously agreed to a settlement reportedly worth up to $12.5 billion to respond to the damage to and contamination of public water systems.
But those agreements did not resolve the thousands of personal injury claims filed by individuals who allege they developed cancer and other health conditions from PFAS in firefighting foam.
PFAS Bellwether Trials to Set a Baseline
Legal analysts and court observers say upcoming bellwether trials will be pivotal to resolve the toxic exposure litigation. Bellwether trials are designed to test evidence before juries, and they typically influence future settlement negotiations.
In the firefighting foam litigation, bellwether trials are expected to focus heavily on whether plaintiffs can prove specific cancers were caused by exposure to PFAS chemicals in AFFF foam. This scientific causation battle may ultimately determine the future value of thousands of cases.
That issue is especially important because many plaintiffs were exposed decades ago. PFAS chemicals are known for remaining in the human body and environment for extended periods of time, but proving a direct connection between exposure and disease is legally complex.
Manufacturers have largely denied liability and continue disputing that the science definitively shows PFAS exposure caused cancers and other illnesses of individual plaintiffs.
At the same time, plaintiffs’ attorneys argue internal company documents and decades of scientific research show manufacturers knew about the potential dangers associated with PFAS long before the public became aware of them.
The litigation continues to draw attention because of the sheer scope of exposure nationwide.
For example, the U.S. military used AFFF foam for training purposes for decades, particularly at Navy installations and Air Force bases. Firefighters at civilian airports and industrial facilities also routinely trained with the foam. And many communities later discovered PFAS contamination in groundwater and municipal water systems near those locations.
For plaintiffs already diagnosed with cancer, timing has become another major concern.
As the litigation moves toward more advanced trial phases, lawyers continue urging potentially eligible individuals not to delay filing claims because of state statutes of limitations. In addition, AFFF lawsuits may be impacted by when a person discovered the possible connection between exposure and their illness.
How Much Could AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuits be Worth?
Many toxic exposure attorneys believe personal injury settlements in the AFFF firefighting foam litigation could reach substantial amounts in cases involving long-term work-related exposure. Others caution that outcomes may vary significantly depending on diagnosis, medical history, length of exposure, and the strength of evidence tying PFAS to specific diseases.
But it’s clear that what happens next in the AFFF litigation may affect more than the thousands of plaintiffs currently involved – it could also impact future lawsuits focused on forever chemicals found in consumer products, industrial sites, and public water systems.
Since the alleged health effects may not appear for decades after exposure, the PFAS firefighting foam bellwether trials will show how courts handle long-term chemical exposure claims in the modern era. They’ll also show how compensation may be determined.
