Products Liability
New scientific and environmental research has revealed that countless families in the U.S. have been exposed (or are still being exposed) to drinking water that is contaminated with toxic forever chemicals called “PFAS.” PFAS include perfluorooctane sulfonate (“PFOS”) and perfluorooctanoic acid (“PFOA”).
These chemicals were widely used for decades in various industrial contexts and by the military. The widespread use of these chemicals has caused them to contaminate the groundwater in many areas of the country. Drinking or using contaminated water can cause cancer and other health conditions. Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer after being exposed to contaminated water may be able to file a lawsuit and get financial compensation.
If you have cancer and believe it was from contaminated water, call our lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or contact us online.
Water Contamination Lawsuits News & Updates:
August 8, 2024: An Illinois lawsuit regarding PFAS pollution in the Mississippi River has been remanded to state court after 3M failed to establish federal jurisdiction. 3M had attempted to get the case out of state court by invoking the federal government contractor defense, arguing unsuccessfully that PFAS might have originated from its own facility or a nearby military installation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that the 3M’s alleged federal law defense was not valid and, therefore, there was no basis for removing the case to federal court.
April 15, 2024: In a new lawsuit, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania resident claims she suffered severe health issues from drinking water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals are associated with various health problems, and exposure allegedly led the plaintiff to develop kidney cancer and undergo extensive medical treatment, including kidney removal. The lawsuit contends that this exposure resulted in significant personal injuries, pain, emotional distress, and ongoing health risks, contributing to substantial and continuing medical costs.
The complaint accuses the defendants of failing to adequately warn the public about the harmful properties of these fluorochemical products, despite knowing their potential dangers. There are a lot of defendants: Raytheon Technologies, DuPont de Nemours, BASF, United Technologies, Carrier Global, The Chemours Company, Corteva, Arkema, 3M, AGC Chemicals Americas, Clariant, Chemguard, Amerex, Archroma U.S., Buckeye Fire Equipment, ChemDesign Products, Chubb Fire, Dynax, E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Kidde PLC, National Foam, The Chemours Company FC, Tyco Fire Products, and UTC Fire & Security Americas.
April 8, 2024: A group of residents from Jackson, Mississippi, has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the city, alleging that failures at Jackson’s water treatment plants in 2022 left over 150,000 people without clean drinking water, violating their right to bodily integrity under the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment. The failures occurred in July, August, and December due to equipment and maintenance issues, leading to residents having no running water for extended periods.
The city has sought to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that their actions do not constitute a constitutional violation. However, the residents argue that the city’s “deliberate indifference” and misleading statements about water safety are sufficient for the claim. They accuse the city of having ample time to address the water safety issues but instead chose to mislead the community about the dangers. The lawsuit also includes claims against Trilogy Engineering Services LLC for exacerbating the problem through negligence.
U.S. District Judge Kristi H. Johnson dismissed the residents’ initial claims but allowed them to refile against the city.
About Water Systems in the U.S.
Potable water is, obviously, essential to life. The U.S. has one of the best public drinking water supplies in the world. According to the EPA (which is responsible for national drinking water regulations) there are over 150,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S.
This means that over 280 million Americans get their drinking water from a community water system. 78% of the community water systems in the U.S. are supplied by ground water, while the rest are supplied by surface water (e.g., reservoirs).
About PFAS – the “Forever Chemicals”
PFAS stands for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, which are a group of man-made chemicals that have been widely used since the 1940s in various industrial and consumer products due to their unique properties. These properties include resistance to heat, water, and oil, which make them useful in applications such as non-stick cookware (e.g., Teflon), water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and firefighting foams.
PFAS are characterized by strong carbon-fluorine bonds, which contribute to their persistence in the environment and in the human body. Because they are highly resistant to degradation, PFAS can accumulate over time and persist in the environment, leading to concerns about their potential health and environmental impacts.
There are thousands of different PFAS compounds, but some of the most well-known and studied include perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). These compounds have been associated with various health risks, including developmental effects, liver toxicity, immune system impacts, and an increased risk of certain cancers.
PFAS has been around since the mid-20th century and have been widely used in a number for a number of industrial and consumer purposes. PFAS were used in non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, cleaning products, and paints. The most significant use of PFAS, however, was in aqueous film-forming foam (“AFFF”) commonly called firefighting foam.
PFAS are called “forever chemicals” because ”hey have proven highly resistant to almost any environmental degradation. As a result, when PFAS are introduced into the environment, they never degrade, get diluted, or go away.
Due to their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and health effects, PFAS have become a subject of significant regulatory scrutiny and efforts to phase out certain uses. Efforts are underway to better understand their impact on human health and the environment and to develop strategies for managing and reducing their presence in the environment and in consumer products.
Groundwater Contamination from PFAS
In recent years, extensive environmental studies and testing have uncovered pervasive PFAS contamination in groundwater throughout the United States. Groundwater is particularly susceptible to PFAS contamination due to the unique chemical properties of these substances.
PFAS can easily enter the environment from any site where they are manufactured, utilized, disposed of, or accidentally spilled. These chemicals exhibit high mobility, allowing them to be swiftly transported by rainwater runoff into lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Moreover, PFAS can penetrate soil without being filtered like other chemicals, ultimately reaching groundwater.
The contamination of groundwater with PFAS is widespread in proximity to sites where PFAS were produced. Additionally, water contamination is highly probable near areas where PFAS-containing products were regularly used or discarded. For instance, airports frequently experience contamination due to the frequent use of firefighting foam in training exercises. Following foam deployment, PFAS swiftly infiltrate groundwater with minimal dilution.
Drinking Water Standards in the U.S.
In the United States, drinking water standards are established and regulated primarily by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA sets Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for various contaminants that may be present in drinking water. These MCLs are enforceable limits based on the potential health risks associated with specific contaminants. Here are key points regarding drinking water standards in the U.S.:
Primary Drinking Water Standards: These standards are designed to protect public health by setting maximum allowable levels of specific contaminants in drinking water. The MCLs for primary contaminants are legally enforceable. Examples include MCLs for microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, and radionuclides.
Secondary Drinking Water Standards: These standards are non-enforceable guidelines regarding taste, odor, color, and certain aesthetic properties of drinking water. They are intended to enhance the acceptability of drinking water, but compliance is not mandatory.
PFAS in Water Have Been Linked to Cancer
Recent scientific research has established that prolonged exposure to high levels of PFAS can result in cancer and other harmful health conditions. Studies have demonstrated that exposure to PFAS at certain concentrations can lead to:
– Increased risk of prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and testicular cancer
– Damage to reproductive health, including infertility and pregnancy complications
– Developmental problems in children, such as loss of bone density and accelerated puberty
– Compromised immune system function
– Ulcerative colitis
– Thyroid disease
The onset of cancer and other health conditions may occur years after an individual’s exposure to PFAS.
In 2016, both the National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conducted extensive reviews of PFAS research. The NTP concluded that both PFOA and PFOS are presumed to be immune hazards to humans based on consistent findings of adverse immune effects in human studies (epidemiology) and high confidence in immune response suppression observed in animal studies (toxicology).
Similarly, IARC determined that there is evidence of the carcinogenicity of PFOA in both humans and experimental animals, indicating a credible positive association between exposure to PFOA and certain cancers.
Contaminated Water Locations in the U.S.
PFAS water contamination has been detected extensively throughout the United States. As of October 2021, there were 2,854 confirmed sites of PFAS water contamination across the country. This contamination is not limited to groundwater sources but has also affected numerous municipal water supply systems. PFAS has been found to contaminate municipal water systems in 33 states and groundwater in 38 states, exposing an estimated 16 million individuals to PFAS-contaminated drinking water.
The primary locations affected by PFAS water contamination include areas near military bases, industrial sites, and airports. Firefighting foam, commonly used in training exercises at U.S. military bases and commercial airports for many years, has been identified as a significant source of PFAS contamination in water systems. According to a 2020 Department of Defense report, approximately 600 military sites and surrounding areas have been identified with PFAS water contamination.
Contaminated Water Cancer Lawsuits
Over the last several years, a growing number of lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturers of PFAS and products containing PFAS. These lawsuits have been filed both by local municipalities alleging that their water systems were polluted and by individuals who claim that they developed cancer or other health conditions from drinking contaminated water.
The defendants in these PFAS water contamination lawsuits include many large chemical manufacturers and other industrial companies. Some of the most prominent companies named primary defendants in the PFAS water contamination lawsuits include 3M & Co. and DuPont. 3M manufactured and sold AFFF firefighting foam containing PFAS from 1970 to 2012. DuPont and its corporate spin-offs have manufactured PFAS and supplied them to other companies, like 3M, since the 1940s.
In addition to the PFAS lawsuits being filed by municipalities, thousands of individuals have filed their own PFAS water contamination lawsuits. These lawsuits allege that the plaintiffs consumed drinking water contaminated by PFAS and developed cancer and other adverse health conditions as a result of this exposure to PFAS in their water supply.
Our national mass tort lawyers are currently seeking water contamination cases involving the following injuries:
- Kidney Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Ulcerative Colitis
Contact Us About a Water Contamination Cancer Lawsuit
Our national mass tort lawyers handle water contamination cancer case across the country and we are currently accepting new cases. Call our toxic water lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or get a no-obligation free consultation online.