https://www.lezdotechmed.com/blog/mass-tort/AFFF-lawsuit-update/
The United States is facing a lot of pharma litigations as well as mass tort claims such as IUD ParaGard, Elmiron, hernia mesh, Zantac, vaginal mesh, opioids and AFFF firefighting foam in 2022.
Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) is an acronym for aqueous film-forming foam. It's a firefighting agent that firefighters primarily use to put out flammable liquid flames. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl, also known as PFAS, are fluoride-based compounds. They're sought after for firefighting since they can put out dangerous fuel fires faster than any other approach. Both surface and subsurface water will be contaminated. It causes a number of major health concerns, including cancer, when people ingest it on a regular basis.
Many people, military and navy firemen, and civilians who live near industrial and military facilities have been exposed to AFFF harmful chemicals, which has resulted in cancer and other ailments. As a result, a considerable number of AFFF lawsuits have been filed against the producers by persons who have been affected.
When the direct exposure to the AFFF foam chemicals for the firefighters and ingestion of contaminated water by the civilians started causing a cancer to pancreas, testicles, liver, breast, thyroid glands, bladder, colon, prostrate glands, kidney, blood and lymphoma. It can also cause birth defects, infertility and other issues.
Though 3M and other AFFF manufacturing companies phased out the manufacture of carcinogenic AFFF after facing a lot of lawsuits, the impact they had on the victims could not be terminated. The long exposure to the chemicals is slowly evolving into different types of cancers and other diseases, catching the civilians and the firefighters off-guard.
3M is facing earplug litigations apart from the AFFF lawsuits. All the manufacturers are facing the lawsuits for producing, promoting and selling the toxic AFFF despite knowing its dangerous aftereffects. Though a few of the initial lawsuits were settled, the manufacturers did not admit their mistake.
As of June 16, 2022, there are around 2586 AFFF lawsuits in the federal court that are consolidated into an MDL under South Carolina. Judge Richard M. Gergel is going to handle the first bellwether trial scheduled to commence in March 2023.
The result of the bellwether AFFF lawsuits will show how the defendants are going to approach the rest of the litigation. expert attorneys think that these lawsuits like other MDL will also reach a global settlement. If you are a victim approach an attorney with all the evidence to pursue a lawsuit. Medical record review solutions will surf through all your medical records and find out the vital points that could help you win the litigation.
