AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawyer
If you are a current or former civilian or military firefighter who has been diagnosed with certain health
issues, you may be wondering if you are one of the thousands of people who may qualify for an AFFF firefighting foam lawsuit. Although there is a lot of information online about these legal actions, a lot of it may be confusing and incorrect. The following is a brief overview of the AFFF foam hazards and
potential legal actions that may be available. For more detailed information about your particular situation, contact Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch.
Aqueous Film Forming Foam
It takes a special breed of person to be a firefighter. Rushing into burning buildings and saving lives, firefighters put their lives on the line every single shift. The job is physically and mentally challenging and requires the utmost dedication.
One of the firefighting tools that firefighters have had available to them for decades is Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF). Many fire departments across the country begin using the foam in the early 1960s. In the 1970s, the foam was introduced as a firefighting tool in United States military bases. For the past 50+ years, this foam has been one of the most frequent products used to extinguish fires, as well as used in routine firefighter training.
The chemical composition of AFF creates tightly-bonded molecules that restrict the oxygen and heat in the flames, separating the flames from the oxygen it needs to keep burning.
Although highly effective at putting out fires, it has also been found to be highly toxic to both people and the environment. Some of the major ingredients in AFF are per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These are man-made chemical compounds used in all kinds of everyday products, including cleaning products, polishes, and waxes.
But studies have found that these compounds are also highly carcinogenic. And what is even more alarming is that manufacturers who use PFAS in their products – including AFFF – have known about these dangers since the 1960s. If you’ve been affected, it’s wise to discuss your symptoms with a doctor and attorney to discuss whether a AFFF firefighting foam lawsuit might make sense for me.
The Deadly Dangers of AFFF
The legal team from Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch that according to many of the AFFF lawsuits that have already been filed, manufacturers know that people exposed to products containing PFAS were at high risk of developing certain types of cancers:
- Bladder
- Breast
- Colorectal
- Kidney
- Leukemia
- Liver
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Pancreatic
- Prostate
- Testicular
- Thyroid
PFAS are also known to put people at risk for other serious and potentially fatal health issues, including:
- Interference with the body’s immune system
- Interference with the body’s natural hormones
- Increases the body’s cholesterol levels
- Decreases a woman’s chance of pregnancy
- Increases a woman’s blood pressure during pregnancy
- Causes a decrease in an infant’s birth weight
Have You Suffered Adverse Health Effects Because of AFFF?
There are potentially hundreds of thousands of people who have been exposed to AFFF and PFAS because of the failure of multiple manufacturers to warn firefighters, military veterans, and citizens who used well-water near military bases and airports where these toxic chemicals were used.
Anyone who worked, trained, or lived in these areas and had repeated exposure over the past six decades and has developed any of the above health issues may be able to pursue legal action against those companies that have been identified for their liability to innocent victims’ exposure.
To learn more about a AFFF firefighting foam lawsuit in Georgia and what legal recourse you and your family may have, contact the Law Offices Of Andrew Lynch to schedule a free and confidential consultation.
