There are two groups of chemicals present in AFFF, exposure to which can lead to diseases
Aqueous film-forming foam, commonly known as AFFF, has been used since 1970 to extinguish petroleum and jet fuel fires. While it is very effective, it contains two groups of chemicals which are known carcinogens, namely PFOS and PFOA. Thereby, prolonged exposure to AFFF can result in the development of serious diseases.
PFOS, scientifically known as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, is a chemical which persists in the environment once released, polluting the soil, and air, whereas PFOA, scientifically known as perfluorooctanoic acid, is also very persistent in the environment and poses a great danger to human life if exposure occurs over the course of several years. However, PFOS and PFOA are not present only in AFFF, as they can also be found in food packaging, dust, non-stick cookware, and metal plating. Nevertheless, PFOS and PFOA are present in large amounts in AFFF, which is the main culprit behind various forms of cancer.
Exposure to PFOS and PFOA in AFFF can lead to multiple cancers over the years
Contrary to popular belief, aqueous film-forming foam is not dangerous in and of itself, as it is the two groups of chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, in it which can endanger the health of a person. Unfortunately, because it contains these two groups of toxic agents, exposure to AFFF is dangerous and can lead to the development of multiple cancers and other diseases over the course of several years, including:
- Kidney cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Ulcerative colitis
- Thyroid disease
- Bladder cancer
- Leukemia
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Male breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Liver cancer
- Thyroid cancer
Nevertheless, it is important to note that you qualify for compensation only if you developed one of the diseases in the first list, as a definitive causal relation between those diseases and exposure to PFOS and PFOA was found. Thereby, if you came to struggle with a form of cancer as a result of exposure to AFFF as a civilian or military firefighter, you are eligible for compensation from the companies which manufactured the product you were exposed to. It is worthy of note that it takes several years of exposure to PFOS and PFOA to develop a form of cancer and solid evidence of your exposure must exist in order to recover the compensation you deserve.
Legal assistance for the victims of AFFF exposure
Our attorneys, who specialize in pursuing compensation for the victims of toxic exposure, will provide you with quality legal assistance if you are a firefighter or a person who serves in the military and developed a form of cancer as a consequence of exposure to AFFF. After you thoroughly explain your situation to our legal team, our experienced attorneys will promptly begin working on your case, while our legal experts will gather additional evidence to support it.
Your involvement in the legal process will be minimal, as you will only have to grant our legal team access to your employment or military records, which you must retrieve, and to your medical records, which need to state that your disease is the result of exposure to PFOS and PFOA. Eventually, you will recover the compensation you deserve for your injury. It is worthy of note that, unless we obtain compensation for you, you do not have to pay us anything, as we work on a contingency fee basis.