"A group of 19 firefighters in Massachusetts and New York allege in two separate lawsuits that 3M and 23 other companies knowingly made and sold products containing “forever chemicals” that placed the plaintiffs’ health at risk.
The case is the latest in a growing number of lawsuits from firefighters’ attorneys citing concerns that the chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, found in their protective jackets, pants, and other gear and specialized firefighting foam increase their risk of cancer, liver damage, and a host of other illnesses.
The firefighters learned of their exposure from recent blood tests in December 2021 documenting levels of the chemicals in their blood that “are significantly elevated” compared to most Americans, the petition said.
Defendants knew or should have reasonably known that the chemicals and the products containing them were hazardous to human health, yet they failed to provide information or warnings to firefighters, according to the lawsuits filed by Jonathan K. Levine, co-founding partner of Pritzker Levine LLP, and colleagues."
Pat Rizzuto and Andrew Wallender report for Bloomberg Environment February 16, 2022.
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