Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a miracle chemical for fighting fires. It forms a thin, floating layer when sprayed on liquid fires. The film prevents oxygen from reaching the fuel, smothering the fire. This chemical was particularly useful to the military, airports, and fire departments equipped to handle hazardous material fires.
Scientists have linked AFFF exposure to various cancers. It contains per-fluoroalkyl substances and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). You might be more familiar with these chemicals by their nickname, “forever chemicals,” because they do not break down. Dickerson Oxton, helps people exposed to AFFF in Kansas City, MO, recover compensation for their injuries.
For assistance, contact our law firm at (816) 268 1960 to schedule a free initial consultation.
How Dickerson Oxton, LLC Can Help If You Were Injured By AFFF in Kansas City, MO
Dickerson Oxton, LLC, was founded in 2010 to represent victims in Kansas City, Missouri, against those who caused their injuries. Our Kansas City product liability lawyers have achieved a 98% success rate in recovering compensation through settlements and damage awards.
Our firm provides the following legal services to people who have suffered injuries due to defective products:
- Learning about your injuries and explaining your legal options
- Developing a strategy for gathering evidence and asserting your claim
- Filing a lawsuit against the manufacturer and pursuing a fair settlement
- Presenting your case to a jury if the manufacturer refuses to settle
You have the right to pursue compensation if you suffer a serious or terminal illness due to a company’s defective products. Contact our Kansas City personal injury lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your injuries and options for holding the manufacturer accountable.
How Many People Were Injured By AFFF?
Firefighters and technicians responsible for maintaining firefighting equipment are the most likely to experience injuries from AFFF exposure.
AFFF products were released in a few scenarios, including:
- Firefighting
- Testing firefighting equipment
- Firefighter training
- Spills and accidental releases
However, the injuries were not limited to those who used it. Thus, no one knows how many people have suffered AFFF-related cancers. AFFF releases create several difficulties that can cause widespread exposure from a single source.
First, AFFF disperses in liquid, making it an effective fire-suppression tool. Second, the product is difficult to stop. Once it gets released into the environment, it can contaminate groundwater. Finally, and most dangerously, the product does not break down in the environment or the body. AFFF exposure could happen years or even decades after the release.
Nevertheless, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against AFFF manufacturers. These cases might only represent the tip of the iceberg, and many more claimants may come forward as the AFFF in their systems causes cancer and other injuries.
What Can Victims Do About AFFF-Related Injuries?
Product liability law imposes strict liability on manufacturers for injuries caused by their defective products. Strict liability means you do not need to prove that the manufacturer intended to create or release a defective product. You do not even need to show that the manufacturer knew about the defect.
Instead, you must only prove that the product was defective and your injury was caused by it.
Product defects can take three forms:
- Design defects are inherent in the product’s design, making it unsafe for all uses
- Manufacturing defects are introduced at the factory when the product gets produced
- Warning defects fail to instruct how to use the product safely or warn against misuse
Victims who have suffered injuries from AFFF exposure have not alleged manufacturing defects. In other words, the AFFF released to the public is the product that the manufacturers designed without any alteration or adulteration.
Instead, the products allegedly have design and warning defects. The product was designed to include PFAS chemicals. These chemicals cannot be used safely because they persist in the body and environment. Once released, they can cause mass tort by exposing hundreds or thousands of people to AFFF through their drinking water.
The products may also include warning defects. Firefighters and other users allegedly had no warning about the dangers of AFFF exposure. Worse yet, like other cases involving asbestos and benzene released at Camp Lejeune, the dangers went far beyond the immediate users. Innocent victims who had no warning of the product’s dangers suffered injuries due to exposure.
People injured by AFFF have filed lawsuits against the manufacturers. These lawsuits have asserted both personal injury and wrongful death claims for the cancers caused by the PFAS in AFFF.
Federal courts have initiated a multi-district litigation (MDL) to help the litigants share information and reduce costs. This MDL case is happening in South Carolina. Unfortunately, no trials or settlements have occurred in these cases, so there is no way to measure their value or likelihood of success.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Kansas City Product Liability Attorneys To Discuss an AFFF Case
People injured by defective products can use product liability law to pursue compensation from manufacturers. Contact Dickerson Oxton, LLC, at (816) 268 1960 for a free consultation to discuss the injuries and diseases you developed after exposure to AFFF and how you can hold the manufacturers liable for them.