Drinking water
Municipal water systems or private wells affected by PFAS contamination.
All practice areas
Environmental & toxic exposure litigation
PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Litigation
PFAS chemicals have been used for decades in industrial processes, firefighting foams, and consumer products. When these persistent chemicals contaminate drinking water, soil, or surrounding communities, determining where they came from—and who may be responsible—can require extensive investigation.
The litigation
PFAS in Brief
PFAS are a large family of synthetic chemicals used in industrial and consumer applications because they can resist heat, water, oil, and stains. Certain PFAS can persist for long periods in the environment and enter drinking water, soil, groundwater, and other pathways.
PFAS litigation may involve contamination, exposure, source investigation, responsibility, and potential claims. The relevant facts, evidence, and applicable law differ from matter to matter.
Potential uses and sources
Where PFAS Have Been Used
PFAS have been used in aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), industrial processes, water-, grease-, or stain-resistant materials, certain coatings and packaging, and other commercial and consumer applications.
- Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF)
- Industrial processes
- Water-, grease-, and stain-resistant materials
- Certain coatings and packaging
- Other commercial and consumer applications
Potential contamination pathway
Source
Soil / groundwater
Drinking water
Potential human exposure
The actual pathway differs from case to case.
Exposure
How Can PFAS Exposure Occur?
Potential exposure pathways can include contaminated drinking water, occupational exposure, firefighting foam or AFFF, contaminated soil or groundwater, and certain products or industrial environments. The relevant pathway requires fact-specific investigation.
Occupational exposure
Work involving PFAS chemicals or PFAS-containing materials.
Firefighting foam
Use of or proximity to certain aqueous film-forming foams containing PFAS.
Soil, groundwater, or industrial environments
Potential contact near locations where PFAS may have entered environmental pathways.
Simply living near a potential source does not establish significant PFAS exposure. Each circumstance requires individualized investigation.
AFFF
Firefighting Foam and PFAS Litigation
AFFF is particularly relevant to source investigation because certain formulations historically used to combat fuel fires contained PFAS.
Military installations, airports, fire-training facilities, industrial sites, and other locations where AFFF was stored, used, tested, or released can be important to an investigation. The questions are where it was used, when it was used, which products were involved, how contamination traveled, who may have been exposed, and which records identify potentially responsible parties.
Potential sources
Where Can PFAS Contamination Begin?
Tracing environmental contamination back to its source can be one of the most important parts of a PFAS case. Contamination can move beyond the property where it originated, and identifying a source can require historical and environmental investigation rather than simply examining where contamination was discovered.
- PFAS manufacturing facilities
- Facilities using PFAS in industrial processes
- Airports
- Military installations
- Firefighter training facilities
- Locations where AFFF was repeatedly used
- Landfills and waste-disposal facilities
- Wastewater, biosolids, and industrial discharges
Health research
What Does the Research Say About PFAS and Health?
Scientific and public-health research has examined associations between exposure to certain PFAS and a number of health outcomes. Research can be relevant to a PFAS matter, but it is only one part of a case evaluation.
- Kidney and testicular cancer
- Changes in cholesterol
- Certain liver effects
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension or preeclampsia
- Changes in immune response
An individual legal claim requires analysis of the particular exposure history, medical facts, evidence, source, and applicable law. Scientific association does not establish causation in any individual case.
The regulatory landscape
Regulatory Context
Federal and state regulation of PFAS has developed substantially and continues to evolve, including regulation and investigation concerning drinking water, environmental contamination, reporting, remediation, and certain PFAS uses.
Regulatory information can provide context for litigation, but it does not by itself establish injury or legal responsibility in a particular matter.
What the litigation investigates
Following the Contamination Back to Its Source.
A PFAS case may require reconstructing where PFAS were used, who manufactured or supplied relevant products, where releases occurred, how contamination moved, who may have been exposed, what records establish the history, and which companies or entities may bear legal responsibility.
- Historical use and product records
- Manufacturer, supplier, and facility records
- AFFF purchase, storage, and use histories
- Environmental sampling, groundwater, and water-system records
- Property, employment, military, and firefighting records
- Medical records where a personal-injury claim is evaluated
01
Source
02
Release
03
Movement
04
Exposure
05
Harm
06
Responsibility
Types of PFAS claims
PFAS Litigation Can Take Different Forms.
PFAS contamination can affect individuals, families, communities, property owners, and public water systems in different ways.
Personal injury
Claims alleging that significant PFAS exposure contributed to a diagnosed medical condition.
Drinking-water contamination
Claims arising from PFAS entering municipal water supplies or private wells.
Property & environmental damage
Claims involving contamination of land, groundwater, wells, or other property.
Water-system claims
Claims involving testing, treatment, remediation, filtration, or other measures required to address PFAS contamination.
AFFF product liability
Claims involving alleged injuries or contamination associated with certain PFAS-containing firefighting foams.
The legal theories, evidence, plaintiffs, and damages can differ substantially among these categories.
Case evaluation
Who May Want to Have a PFAS Claim Evaluated?
A potential PFAS claim requires individualized evaluation. People may want to have a matter evaluated when there is a potentially significant exposure history, a documented contamination concern, or a relevant diagnosis alongside available supporting information.
- Living or working in an area with documented PFAS contamination
- Drinking water affected by PFAS
- Working with or around AFFF
- Occupational exposure involving PFAS-containing materials
- Living near a suspected industrial, military, airport, firefighting, or other contamination source
- A relevant diagnosis combined with a potentially significant exposure history
Do not assume an automatic qualification rule. PFAS in a community alone does not establish a legal claim.
Request a Confidential Case EvaluationEvidence
Evidence and Records
PFAS litigation is built through evidence and reconstruction, not simply through the presence of PFAS in the environment. A potential claimant does not need a completed investigation before requesting an evaluation.
- Exposure history: addresses, employment, water sources, occupational duties, firefighting, or AFFF exposure
- Environmental records: water testing, groundwater data, sampling, contamination maps, and regulatory records
- Source records: facility records, product information, purchasing records, AFFF histories, and manufacturer or supplier information
- Medical records: relevant diagnoses, treatment records, and medical history when a personal-injury claim is evaluated
Available records can help reconstruct potential exposure, source history, and responsibility. You do not need PFAS blood testing before contacting eJustice.
Why these cases are complex
Contamination Is Only the Beginning of the Investigation.
Finding PFAS does not automatically identify who caused contamination. Environmental litigation may require examining decades of chemical manufacturing, product use, waste disposal, groundwater movement, corporate history, and regulatory records.
Multiple sources and compounds may be involved, and contamination may cross property boundaries. The company that manufactured a chemical may differ from the company that used a PFAS-containing product, the facility where it was released, or the entity responsible for a contaminated property.
The question is not simply whether PFAS was found. The larger questions are where it came from, who was exposed, what harm resulted, and who may be responsible.
PFAS Litigation: Frequently Asked Questions
PFAS Contamination Can Leave a Long Trail.
A confidential evaluation can begin with practical information: where you lived or worked, potential sources of exposure, water source, occupational or AFFF exposure, relevant dates, any diagnosis, and available environmental or medical records. eJustice can review the available information and determine whether the circumstances warrant further investigation.
Request a Confidential Case EvaluationPrefer to speak with someone? Call 800-210-3218
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes and is not medical or legal advice. Scientific research concerning PFAS continues to develop, and association does not establish individual causation. Every potential legal claim depends on its facts and applicable law. Viewing this page or submitting information does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.