Firefighters and Service Members Exposed to AFFF Foam May Be Owed Money After Cancer Diagnoses

The short version: AFFF — the foam used to fight fuel fires at airports and military bases — contains PFAS chemicals linked to cancer. If you worked around AFFF and were later diagnosed with kidney, testicular, bladder, or other cancers, you may be owed money. Filing is open, and there is no cost to check.

This page explains who may qualify, what the chemicals are, and how to find out if your situation fits. If you'd rather go straight to a case check, the form is here.

What the AFFF Lawsuit Is About

AFFF stands for Aqueous Film-Forming Foam. It was developed in the 1960s to fight fuel and jet fires and became standard equipment at military air bases, civilian airports, and many fire departments across the country.

The problem: AFFF contains PFAS chemicals — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down in the human body or the environment. Research by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has linked PFAS exposure to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid disease, and other serious conditions. (ATSDR PFAS and Health report, 2021.)

Lawsuits allege that 3M, DuPont, and other AFFF manufacturers knew for decades that their products contained dangerous chemicals and hid that information from the military, firefighters, and the public. More than 6,000 cases are now consolidated in federal court in South Carolina (MDL 2873, D.S.C.). All defendants deny the allegations.

Who May Qualify

You may have a case if all three of these apply:

• You worked as a firefighter, military service member, or airport worker at a location where AFFF was regularly used or stored — or you trained with it.
• You were later diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid disease, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
• Your exposure to AFFF came before your diagnosis.

You do not need to have directly applied the foam. Many people who served at air bases or worked near fire training areas qualify simply because of regular proximity to the chemical.

What Could This Mean for You?

We will not quote you a number. No global settlement has been reached in this MDL as of this writing, and we have no verified basis to project what any individual case may be worth. Anyone who gives you a specific dollar figure at this stage is guessing — and we won't do that.

What any case may ultimately be worth depends on the type of cancer, the severity of treatment required, lost income, and how the litigation resolves. Those factors are unique to every person.

What we can say: the case check is free, there is no cost to you unless you win, and if you may have a case, the only way to know is to submit your information for review.

What About the Filing Deadline?

Every state has a deadline for filing a lawsuit. Some states give you as little as two years from when you first connected your cancer diagnosis to AFFF exposure. In others, the window is longer — but it is never unlimited.

Here's the bottom line: the clock is already running, and once the deadline passes, you cannot recover — even if your case was strong. Checking takes two minutes and costs nothing.

What Happens If You File

Step 1 — The Free Case Check

Fill out the form on this page. Takes about two minutes. Our intake team reviews it. If it looks like you may qualify, someone contacts you within one week.

Step 2 — A Screening Conversation

A team member reaches out to fill in details: where you worked, how long you were around AFFF, and what your diagnosis is. No cost. No pressure.

Step 3 — Signing Up

If you move forward, you sign a simple agreement. You owe nothing unless your case wins or settles. If you win, a percentage goes to the law firm; the rest is yours.

Step 4 — Your Case Joins Thousands of Others

Your case joins the group already in federal court in South Carolina. The law firm handles the hard work. Most clients never go to a courtroom. When cases resolve, payouts go out.

Common Questions

I was in the military, not a civilian firefighter. Does this apply to me?

Yes. Military service members — especially those who served at air bases where AFFF was used in fire training or in crash response — are among the most common filers in this case.

What if I only used AFFF a handful of times?

Even limited exposure may be enough, depending on how much PFAS you absorbed and the type of cancer you developed. Submit the form and a real person can help determine if your situation fits.

I'm a retired firefighter. Does that affect my case?

No. Your exposure history and diagnosis are what matter, not whether you're still active duty or on the job.

Do I need to know which brand of AFFF I was exposed to?

No. Most departments used the same chemical formulations regardless of brand. You don't need to identify a specific manufacturer.

Does it cost anything?

No. The case check is free. If you sign up and your case doesn't recover money, you owe nothing.

Ready to Check If You Qualify?

If you worked around AFFF for years as a firefighter, service member, or airport worker — and you've been diagnosed with cancer — take two minutes and fill out the form below. A real person will review it and reach out within one week if you may have a case.

If you don't hear back, please contact another law firm — every case has a filing deadline, and once it passes, you can't recover.

Sources

• Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), "PFAS and Your Health," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2021. atsdr.cdc.gov
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS Strategic Roadmap. epa.gov/pfas
• U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, MDL 2873 (AFFF Products Liability Litigation). Available via PACER.