Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is representing firefighters who have developed cancer after being exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting gear.
Fire fighters who have developed cancer because of PFAS in protective gear may be eligible to file a lawsuit against fire fighter protective gear manufacturers and textile manufacturers seeking compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering and more.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has been representing victims of hazardous substances such as PFAS forever chemicals, paraquat and asbestos since 1990. We have decades of experience in proving that substances like PFAS chemicals are dangerous and that our clients were made sick by them.
We will not charge you any fee to represent you in connection with toxic chemicals in firefighting turnout gear until and unless we recover money for you. You will never owe us any out-of-pocket fee.
If you can’t afford medical treatment, we can get you to doctors who will treat you on a lien, meaning they won’t charge you until your case is over.
Call a firefighter gear lawyer at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation if you or a loved one developed cancer after being exposed to PFAS in firefighters’ protective gear. You may qualify for financial compensation.
Firefighters At Higher Cancer Risk
In 2010, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health started to study the cancer incidence and mortality of 29,993 firefighters. The researchers found that not only do firefighters see a higher risk of cancer compared to the general population, but that cancer is actually the leading reason for death in firefighters.
The primary cancers of concern to the researchers were:
- Mesothelioma
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
- Multiple myeloma
- Leukemia
In addition, the researchers also expressed concern about:
- Breast cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Intestinal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Brain cancer
- Lung cancer
One reason for the increased cancer risk that fire service members face is likely exposure to PFAS chemicals in firefighters’ gear and AFFF firefighting foam.
Call us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one developed cancer after being exposed to PFAS chemicals in firefighting bunker gear. You might be eligible for a financial recovery.
What Compensation Is Available In A Firefighting Gear Lawsuit?
If you or a loved one developed cancer after being exposed to PFAS chemicals in firefighting gear, you may qualify for financial compensation for:
Medical Bills
Cancer is a very expensive disease to treat. You are probably already facing medical bills due to your diagnosis. You may also face medical bills in the future due to your diagnosis, perhaps for the rest of your life. You might qualify to be compensated for any past or future medical expenses related to your cancer diagnosis.
Lost Wages
You may have missed time from work due to your cancer. You may have been too sick to work. You might have had to take time off from work to attend cancer treatments. You could qualify for compensation for any wages you were unable to earn because of cancer.
Loss Of Earning Capacity
Your cancer may have caused you to be unable to ever work again, or unable to do the job you used to do. You may be eligible for compensation for any loss or reduction of your earning capacity caused by your cancer.
Pain And Suffering
Cancer can be a very painful disease, both physically and mentally. You might qualify for compensation for any physical pain and mental suffering you experience due to cancer.
Wrongful Death
If you lost a loved one due to cancer caused by PFAS chemicals in firefighter gear, no amount of financial compensation can bring your loved one back. A financial recovery can, however, make sure you don’t have to endure financial hardship because of the loss of your loved one. You might be eligible for compensation for your loved one’s medical bills, pain, suffering, funeral costs and burial costs. You may qualify for compensation for the loss of your loved one’s income, household services, love and companionship.
Firefighting Gear Containing PFAS
Firefighters, when extinguishing fires and during training, wear what is known as turnout gear, which is also known as bunker gear. The components of this gear include hoods, helmets, pants, suspenders, jackets, gloves and boots.
PFAS chemicals are used in this gear to give the gear resistance to water, heat and stains.
A study published in 2020 found that not only does firefighting gear contain high levels of PFAS chemicals, but that these chemicals are shed from the gear when the gear is exposed to heat.
The study found that when turnout gear is exposed to heat, PFAS chemicals break down, off-gas and degrade into toxic, mobile particles and dust. Firefighters can then be exposed to the PFAS chemicals via absorption through the skin, inhalation or ingestion.
Lawsuit Alleges There’s No Reason For PFAS To Be In Firefighting Gear
A lawsuit filed in Norfolk County Superior Court by the International Association of Fire Fighters against the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) alleges that there isn’t even a good reason for PFAS chemicals to be in firefighting gear.
The lawsuit alleges that PFAS substances including PTFE are used in firefighting gear because NFPA Standard 1971, Section No. 8.62 requires the middle moisture barrier layer of turnout gear to satisfy an ultraviolet light degradation test. The lawsuit alleges this protective gear standard is unnecessary because the middle layer of turnout gear is not exposed to ultraviolet light.
The lawsuit claims that this standard was put in place not because of scientific merit but rather because of a deal between the NFPA and manufacturers of PFAS chemicals and firefighter gear.
The lawsuit alleges that PTFE, when it is heated to the temperatures commonly experienced in firefighting, can produce PFOA.
In 1987, 3M found tumors while doing a study on animals and PFOA.
A study done by 3M in 1990 linked PFOA with testicular cancer.
In 1992, a scientist who used to work for 3M discovered a higher risk of death from prostate cancer in workers who were exposed to PFOA.
In 1997, DuPont found that workers in a plant where PFOA was used saw elevated rates of cancer.
The C8 Science Panel, in 2012, concluded that a probable link exists between PFOA and kidney cancer and testicular cancer.
How Long Do I Have To File A Lawsuit?
There is a time limit to file a firefighter gear lawsuit in California. That time limit is known as a statute of limitations.
In California, if you are injured by a defective product, you have two years from the date that you became aware of your injury and you became aware that the defective product caused your injury.
This means that you have two years to file a lawsuit from the date you became aware that firefighter gear caused you to develop cancer.
However, it is important that you call a firefighting gear lawyer at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers today if you’ve developed cancer after being exposed to PFAS chemicals in firefighting gear. It can take a long time to build a convincing products liability case. Calling us today gives us the best chance to build a convincing case for you and make sure any necessary paperwork is filed on time.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Firefighter Gear Attorney?
The firefighter gear lawyers at Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers will not charge you any fee until and unless we obtain financial compensation for you. In other words, we will not charge you a fee until and unless we win your case. We will never charge you an upfront fee to represent you. We will never charge you any money out of your own pocket to represent you.
What Conditions Can I Recover Compensation For?
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers is helping firefighters recover financial compensation for the following conditions caused by exposure to PFAS chemicals in firefighting gear:
- Testicular cancer
- Liver cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Ulcerative colitis
- Thyroid disease
Experienced Lawyers With A Track Record Of Success
We believe that firefighting gear containing PFAS chemicals is defective because it is unreasonably dangerous when it is used as intended.
Nadrich Accident Injury Lawyers has been representing those injured by defective products for over 30 years.
Our experience in handling defective product cases means we have the know-how to prove that your cancer was caused by defective firefighting gear.
Call us today for a free consultation or text us from this page if you or a loved one developed cancer after exposure to PFAS chemicals in firefighter gear. You might be able to recover money compensating you for your medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering and more.
Firefighter Gear Lawsuit Updates
July 28, 2026 Update
A federal judges’ panel will hear oral arguments about if a new MDL should be created in order to address numerous firefighter gear lawsuits that allege that first responders have been exposed to carcinogenic, toxic chemicals used while creating their protective gear.
A start to the litigation occurred when the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association and the International Association of Fire Fighters warned in 2022 that firefighters should limit their use of turnout gear because of the presence of PFAS chemicals.
After these warnings occurred, individuals as well as municipalities across the country have filed lawsuits alleging that safety equipment and chemical manufacturers knew or should have known that exposure to PFAS chemicals in turnout gear was causing firefighters to develop cancer.
May saw the City of Rochester file a motion through the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation which calls for every federal firefighter gear lawsuit to get consolidated in the District of Minnesota for coordinated pretrial proceedings and discovery.
The city is arguing that consolidation, which is common for litigation like this, would serve the convenience of the court, witnesses and parties, and would prevent conflicting rulings and duplicative discovery.
In addition, the judge overseeing the AFFF firefighting foam MDL has asked for the firefighter turnout gear claims to be folded into the AFFF MDL.
The JPML, in a June 12 Notice of Hearing Session, announced it will hear oral arguments regarding Rochester’s request on July 30 in North Carolina. It is not clear if the request regarding the AFFF MDL will play any role in this hearing.
It is indicated by the notice that there are five turnout gear lawsuits which have been filed in three districts.
The cases will get transferred before a single judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings and discovery if the JPML decides to consolidate them. That judge would probably prepare things for possible early bellwether trials which would be designed to see how evidence and testimony is likely to be responded to by juries.
The lawsuits would remain as individual claims, though.
April 25, 2025 Update
Multiple firefighter unions have joined together in order to file a class action lawsuit against manufacturers of firefighter gear which they are indicating contain carcinogenic PFAS chemicals.
A complaint filed on April 19, involving individual firefighters, the City of Stamford and numerous state firefighter unions, seeks class action status in order to seek damages from chemical and safety equipment companies such as Dupont De Nemours, Inc, 3M Company, Honeywell Safety Products, Gore & Associates, Corteva and others who have been named as defendants.
The lawsuit alleges that manufacturers of turnout gear gave equipment to firefighters while they knew or should have known that the equipment posed toxic exposure risks, as studies have consistently shown that the protective equipment contains “alarmingly high levels” of PFAS chemicals.
The lawsuit alleges that the companies sold and designed toxic equipment which led to the bodies of firefighters absorbing PFAS chemicals, increasing their cancer risks.
August 12, 2024 Update
Numerous states are considering or passing legislation banning the use of PFAS chemicals in firefighters’ protective gear, since the chemicals have been linked with a higher risk of health problems such as cancer.
Massachusetts passed a ban on PFAS chemicals in firefighter equipment last month. The legislation still needs to pass the House of Representatives of the state, but it’s expected that it will then be signed into law by the governor.
The bill would ban the sale of turnout gear intentionally made using PFAS chemicals by January of 2027. Such gear would need to have warning labels by January 2025.
California is considering a PFAS ban via AB 2408, which would require that PFAS be banned from firefighter gear once a safe alternative is available for use as a material that is water-resistant.
The City of San Francisco approved an ordinance which bans PFAS from firefighting gear earlier this year.
Concord, New Hampshire agreed in March to purchase over $300,000 of PFAS-free firefighting gear for emergency responders.
Dozens of states are expected to place restrictions on the use of PFAS in numerous industries.
February 20, 2024 Update
A lawsuit filed last month in South Carolina by a Massachusetts firefighter alleges that firefighters haven’t been warned adequately about cancer risks which are associated with PFAS chemicals used in turnout gear.
The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff developed prostate cancer because of his exposure to PFAS chemicals in turnout gear during his four decades of service as a Worcester, Massachusetts firefighter.
The lawsuit claims that the defendants, including 3M Company, knew about cancer risks associated with the gear, yet failed to warn adequately that the chemicals can accumulate in blood and cause cancer and other diseases.
The lawsuit alleges that the man’s PFAS exposure means he will continue to face a high risk of adverse health problems and further injuries in the future.
The lawsuit alleges that the defendants concealed the bioaccumulation, persistence and toxicity of PFAS chemicals, repeatedly misrepresenting their safety.
