Highfloor
Docket · Ongoing — multi-defendant

AFFF firefighting foam (PFAS) — advertising approach

Multi-defendant docket. Firefighter, military, and community PFAS contamination qualification.

Last updated

The AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam) firefighting foam mass tort targets multiple defendants — 3M, DuPont, Chemours, Tyco Fire Products, Kidde-Fenwal — for PFAS contamination linked to various cancers. Qualification spans firefighters, military personnel (especially Navy and Marine Corps), and community members exposed through contaminated water supplies. Year-round flights with concentrated reach in firefighter and veteran populations.

AFFF / PFAS firefighting foam — emerging settlement structure

3M reached a $10.3B framework for public water-system claims in 2023. Personal-injury bellwether trials continue; per-plaintiff settlements remain in early framework stages.

$0.0B
Public water systems framework (3M, 2023)
0+
Active personal injury bellwethers
0
Estimated PI framework year
Composite estimate

The AFFF (Aqueous Film-Forming Foam) firefighting foam mass tort is one of the largest PFAS-related mass torts in the country. AFFF was used extensively in firefighting (especially for liquid-fuel fires) and in military training exercises from the 1960s through recent years. The PFAS chemicals used in AFFF — particularly PFOA and PFOS — persist indefinitely in the environment and have been linked to various cancers and other health conditions.

Qualification spans three primary populations: career firefighters with substantial AFFF exposure during training and incidents; military personnel (particularly Navy and Marine Corps) exposed during firefighting training and on bases with AFFF use; and community members exposed through PFAS-contaminated water supplies near military bases, airports, and AFFF manufacturing sites.

The MDL is consolidated in the District of South Carolina (MDL 2873). Settlement frameworks vary by defendant — 3M reached a $10.3B+ public water system settlement in 2023; individual injury claims continue at substantial volume.

Highfloor supports per-firm AFFF flights with bar TV reaching firefighter and veteran populations across metros with substantial concentrations — Phoenix, Las Vegas, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, NYC, plus communities near affected military bases.

Highfloor advertising approach
  • Year-round flights — ongoing multi-defendant litigation
  • Bar TV in firefighter-and-veteran-concentration metros
  • Targeted reach in communities near affected military bases and AFFF sites
  • Search-keyword spend on AFFF / PFAS / firefighter-cancer-specific terms
  • Spanish-language variants for Latino veteran and firefighter populations
Key dates
  • 2018 — first major AFFF lawsuits filed
  • 2018 — JPML consolidates to MDL 2873 (D. South Carolina)
  • 2023 — 3M $10.3B+ public water system settlement
  • 2024–2025 — continued individual injury claim filings
Geographic concentration
  • Communities near affected military bases (nationwide)
  • Firefighter-population metros (Phoenix, Las Vegas, Houston, Atlanta)
  • Veteran-population corridors
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who can file an AFFF claim?

Firefighters with substantial occupational AFFF exposure, military personnel (especially Navy and Marine Corps) exposed during service, and community members exposed through contaminated water supplies near military bases, airports, or AFFF manufacturing sites — all combined with a qualifying medical diagnosis.

Talk to a strategist

Want a Highfloor advertising approach for AFFF?

Fifteen minutes. Map your current channels and budget against what Highfloor runs across bar TV, programmatic, and rideshare. You'll leave with a directional recommendation. No pitch.

Book a 15-minute callOr see the full agenda first

Ready to talk about your market?