If you’re reading this, then you pretty much know what AFFF is and how it works, but right now, in this AFFF Lawsuit Navy, it is actually the Navy veterans and firefighters who are out there suing the AFFF manufacturers. For what? Well, it came out that this so-called AFFF contained some chemicals which we call PFAS, aka Forever Chemicals, and these can lead to some life-threatening medical conditions for those who get in touch with or come into contact with it, and that’s why this lawsuit here is super valid and justified. So let’s get to the details here.
Is the Navy AFFF Lawsuit a Big Thing In Actuality?
Yes, it is, but it’s not as wild as it may seem.
The case is really about the businesses that produced the foam rather than the Navy or personnel who utilized the foam. So if you served, or someone you care about, and are coming across these reports, you can relax. You’re not being taken to court. In fact, it is the Navy veterans and their families who are bringing the lawsuits as they were the ones who were exposed to the poisonous chemicals without any warning whatsoever.
True, and a 100% actually, that the suit has become one of the most extensive chemical exposure cases in the history of the United States. But the fact is, it is going through a diligent and systematic legal procedure. All the cases are being handled in a single federal court so that everything is kept uniform and just.
Why Did This Lawsuit Start in the First Place?
It is essentially related to firefighting foam based itself on the name AFFF which stands for Aqueous Film-Forming Foam. The Navy was a co-developer of such a product in the 1960s as one of the quickest ways to put out a fire caused by jet fuel. And it indeed did a stellar job in that for many years. And? Like, the issue? That foam contained a large number of man-made chemicals called PFAS or “forever chemicals” as they do not degrade over time.
Veterans and firefighters got really mad when it was revealed that the manufacturers of the foam, like 3M, DuPont, Chemours, and Tyco Fire Products, may have been aware of the dangers for a long time but didn’t disclose the military and the public at all, and on purpose.
So all in all, the case actually isn’t on the Navy, but on those firms who jeopardized the lives of servicemen and their kids without even revealing it to them. Get it now?
What Are the Main Claims in the Case?
Simply put, the suits revolve around the manufacturers’ alleged failure to warn the public, the sale of a hazardous product, and the concealment of their knowledge. Plain and simple! As you must have already gotten the real core of the lawsuit here, like, PFAS chemicals were harmful to health and could cause chronic health problems, yet they decided to continue producing and selling the foam because it brought them money.
At present, actually, there are thousands of veterans and civilians who claim that they have been exposed to the AFF during their time at the Navy bases and their homes and neighborhoods. You know, as we found in the details of this case, they have been exposed to the fire retardant while attending training exercises, fighting fires on ships, and/or have been drinking from contaminated water sources.
Those who developed cancers like kidney, thyroid, prostate, or testicular cancer are now seeking compensation for their medical expenses and pain, and that’s super justified, and that’s the way it should be. The lawsuits disclose that the producers had knowledge of the health risks of PFAS since the 1970s and did not disclose it.
