Firefighters in Texas have filed lawsuits for cancer and other health problems after being exposed to “firefighting foam” that contained toxic chemicals.
Need a Texas Firefighting Foam Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with cancer or other health problems from firefighting foam, Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), or toxic chemicals like PFAS, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE: Class Action Filed for PFAS in Drinking Water for Lubbock, Texas
In January 2021, a class action lawsuit was filed after hundreds of private wells near Lubbock, Texas were contaminated with PFOS chemicals from firefighting foam that was used at Reese Air Force Base.
Firefighting Foam Class Action Ends in $17.5 Million Settlement
In January 2021, Tyco Fire Products agreed to pay a $17.5 million settlement for groundwater contamination in rural Wisconsin that was caused by firefighting foam chemicals.
What Does the Settlement Pay Out?
The class action payout covers around 1,100 people living in roughly 270 homes near Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Each household will get $60,000 to $70,000 for class-wide claims, such as property damage.
Firefighting Foam Settlement Pays $2.5 Million for Disease Claims
Tyco’s firefighting foam settlement pays $2.5 million to people with diseases like testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, or pre-eclampsia from exposure to PFAS in water.
Texas Firefighter Files Lawsuit for Skin Cancer Diagnosis
In October 2020, a Texas firefighter filed a lawsuit claiming that the toxic chemicals in firefighting foam caused him to develop skin cancer. He used firefighting foam during training exercises and while fighting fires in Benavides, Texas.
The lawsuit (PDF) was filed on October 5, 2020 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of South Carolina — Case Number 2:20-cv-03518-RMG.
How Many Firefighting Foam Lawsuits Have Been Filed?
As of December 2020, more than 900 firefighting foam lawsuits have been centralized in Multi-District Litigation (MDL Number 2873) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of South Carolina.
What Do Lawsuits Allege?
In general, the lawsuits were filed for groundwater contamination with toxic PFAS chemicals when firefighting foam was used to extinguish jet fuel fires on military bases, airports, and other industrial sites.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for personal injuries, ongoing medical monitoring, property damage (such as private well-water contamination), or other economic losses related to firefighting foam.
What is Firefighting Foam?
Firefighting foam, also called Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), is a product that is used to extinguish fires that are difficult to put out with water alone. It is particularly effective at putting out liquid fuel fires, such as jet fuel, which is why it is used on military bases and airports.
What is the Problem?
Firefighting foam can extinguish a fuel fire within minutes, but the cleanup is challenging. The problem is that firefighting foam contains highly-toxic PFAS chemicals, which are “forever chemicals” that take thousands of years to break down in the environment. PFAS chemicals also accumulate in the human body and cause a variety of severe diseases, including cancer.
What Are PFAS Chemicals?
The toxic chemicals in firefighting foam are Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).
PFOA and PFOS are collectively known as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
Diseases Linked to Firefighting Foam
- Testicular cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Thyroid disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy)
List of Cancers Linked to Firefighting Foam
- Testicular cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Tumors
Need a Firefighting Foam Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our law firm for a free case review.
To contact us for a free review of your potential case, please fill out the form below or call us toll free 24 hrs/day by dialing: