Morgantown attorney seeks just compensation for injuries caused by AFFF Foam
West Virginia lawyer pursues claims on behalf of victims of a hazardous product
Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a fire-fighting product that is in wide use, but it’s also highly toxic and has caused many fire fighters and others to contract cancer and other medical problems. At Mountaineer Injury Law Group in Morgantown and Martinsburg, I will fight aggressively to obtain the settlement or damages you deserve if you suffered due to AFFF exposure in West Virginia.
What is AFFF?
Used to fight fires that contain flammable liquids, AFFF is a chemical that gets mixed with water. It is often used when a blaze includes gasoline, kerosene, lighter fuel, paint thinner, turpentine, acetone or alcohol. When sprayed on such a fire, it will coat the fuel with a film that both cools the fire and prevents oxygen from reaching it, preventing it from reigniting. AFFF is used to fight fires at marine facilities, airports, military bases, chemical plants, flammable liquid storage and processing facilities and oil refineries. You can find AFFF on fire trucks and it is frequently used at fire training facilities, but it includes toxic substances that may endanger the health of fire fighters who use it and bystanders exposed to it. If you have reason to suspect that you were harmed by AFFF, my firm will review the circumstances of your possible exposure, and help you determine if you suffered any actionable injury as a result.
How AFFF may injure you and your loved ones
The danger in AFFF stems from polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are linked to several serious medical conditions, including cancer, reproductive system problems, immunity deficiencies, liver damage, thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis. PFASs pose especially severe risk to the fire fighters who use AFFF, but they can also leak into the ground and water table, creating an environmental risk that might affect people living near the site where it’s used. I can analyze the facts of your case and speak with medical experts to determine if you have a reasonable basis for alleging that you were injured by AFFF.
The status of AFFF litigation
There are currently more than 6,000 AFFF lawsuits pending in federal court. To manage these more efficiently, these cases have been consolidated into multi-district litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court in South Carolina. MDL allows a single court to decide all of the common issues and resolve the cases on the trial level. It also makes it easier for the parties to reach a settlement to compensate large numbers of plaintiffs at the same time. I have represented clients in numerous mass tort cases such as this, and provide strong advocacy for clients in AFFF MDL proceedings.
Experienced legal advocate pursues AFFF claims in court
To recover for damages for exposure to AFFF, you must file your lawsuit within two years after you knew or should have known that you were harmed. This might not occur until well after the actual exposure. You may be able to successfully sue the manufacturer by proving that that AFFF is a defective product or failed to have sufficient warnings, under a standard known as strict liability. I might also be able to prove negligence by others who used AFFF carelessly given its inherent dangers. Proving your case will likely require expert reports substantiating the legal fault and the causal connection to your injury. As a seasoned products liability attorney, you can trust me to present the strongest possible case on your behalf.
Contact a West Virginia AFFF liability attorney for a free consultation
Mountaineer Injury Law Group represents West Virginians injured by exposure to AFFF. Please call 304-202-5835 or contact me online to schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer. My offices are in Morgantown and Martinsburg.
