Chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to a $7.35 billion settlement to resolve thousands of personal injury claims involving exposure to toxic chemicals found in firefighting foam.
The agreement covers approximately 99% of current personal injury claims involving PFAS, commonly called forever chemicals, with between 115,000 and 120,000 plaintiffs eligible to participate.
The settlement is part of nationwide litigation consolidated in the U.S. District Court for South Carolina, known as Multidistrict Litigation No. 2873.
The lawsuits allege that exposure to PFAS-containing firefighting foam caused serious health problems, including certain cancers. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that resist breaking down in the environment and can accumulate in the human body.
Under the agreement, 3M will make payments over 9 years. The company does not admit wrongdoing.
Attorneys with Motley Rice, a law firm involved in the litigation, welcomed the settlement, saying it represents an important development for people who have spent years seeking compensation for illnesses and other damages they attribute to PFAS exposure.
“For the thousands of victims who have sought answers and accountability for nearly a decade, 3M’s $7.35 billion settlement is welcome news. We commend MDL No. 2873’s leadership for achieving this favorable result for victims who are in urgent need of support to cover the mounting medical bills and other costs frequently associated with toxic PFAS exposure," stated Motley Rice Attorneys Fred Thompson, who serves as liaison counsel for MDL No. 2873, and David Hoyle who served as a member of the 3M settlement negotiation team.
Connection to Eastern North Carolina
The nationwide litigation also includes lawsuits filed by local governments seeking compensation for PFAS contamination of public water supplies and property.
The town of Newport in Carteret County filed a lawsuit against chemical manufacturers over alleged PFAS contamination. Its case was transferred to the federal court in South Carolina in August 2025, placing it within the same broader multidistrict litigation.
However, Newport's lawsuit involves alleged environmental contamination and related costs, rather than the personal injury claims covered by the newly announced 3M settlement.
The distinction is important because the $7.35 billion agreement does not automatically resolve lawsuits brought by communities seeking compensation for water testing, treatment and environmental cleanup.
PFAS-containing firefighting foam has been widely used for decades at military installations, airports and fire training facilities.
The chemicals have been linked to health concerns, including kidney and testicular cancers, and their persistence in the environment has prompted lawsuits across the country.
The settlement represents another major development in the ongoing legal effort to determine responsibility for PFAS exposure and its financial consequences.
