Workers Compensation Legal News Articles & Interviews

Washington, DC When firefighters wear their personal protective equipment made with known PFAS chemicals, they are going beyond the call of duty. Firefighters signed up to fight fires, but they didn’t sign up to die from the carcinogenic gear they wear. PFAS health risks have been known for decades, so why can’t the federal government ban PFAS firefighting gear?

Boston, MA As of January 2025, manufacturers and retailers of personal protective equipment containing poly- and perfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals, known as “forever chemicals”, must give the purchaser written notice that it contains the chemicals, along with a reason why they are being used in the product. And by 2027, sellers and manufacturers of firefighters’ personal protective equipment will no longer be allowed to knowingly sell gear that contains “intentionally-added PFAS.” 

Santa Clara, CA Chemical companies making PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals” are advised to “do what you can, while you can, before you get sued”, but the battle has already begun for some manufacturers. For instance, 3M agreed to pay water utilities nationwide at least $10 billion for cleanup costs and at least thirty state attorneys general have also sued PFAS makers for widespread contamination. If you aren’t familiar with the extent of PFAS damages, a recent New York Times article is an eye-opener, to say the least, and the fallout will likely feed into PFAS litigation.

Santa Clara, CAChemical companies making PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals” are advised to “do what you can, while you can, before you get sued”, but the battle has already begun for some manufacturers. For instance, 3M agreed to pay water utilities nationwide at least $10 billion for cleanup costs and at least thirty state attorneys general have also sued PFAS makers for widespread contamination. If you aren’t familiar with the extent of PFAS damages, a recent The New York Times article is an eye-opener, to say the least, and the fallout will likely feed into PFAS litigation.

Euclid, OH In a notable legal battle involving a giant fast-food corporation, McDonald's faced a significant setback when a court refused to overturn a $6,000 judgment against it. This case arose from a distressing incident where Ursula Washington Russell was assaulted by an employee while at a McDonald’s drive-through in Euclid, Ohio. The ramifications of this case highlight crucial legal principles such as excusable neglect and the proper service of process, providing valuable lessons for businesses on handling legal notifications and internal procedures.

Washington, DC Data released by the Environmental Protection Agency shows that 44 million people in the U.S. have toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in their drinking water, but that could be just the tip of the iceberg as the full scale of PFAS contamination is likely much more widespread. However, scientists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) estimated in 2020 that more than 200 million Americans are exposed to forever chemicals in their drinking water.

Washington County, OH The chemical manufacturers of “forever chemicals”, namely DuPont, Corteva and Chemours, have reached a $110 million settlement with the state of Ohio. The PFOA lawsuit was filed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, claiming that PFOA, the manmade chemical perfluorooctanoic acid, was released in the air and water from DuPont’s Washington Works facility in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and just across the border from Ohio’s Washington County.

Charleston, SCOn September 13, Marye Smith filed a perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Smith v. 3M Company alleges that Ms. Smith developed ulcerative colitis because of years of exposure to toxic PFAS in drinking water contaminated with aqueous firefighting foam.  

Ann Arbor, MI A study, published on September 18 in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology suggests that exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS and PFOA) compounds greatly increases the risk of melanoma, ovarian and uterine cancers in women. The precise mechanism is unknown, but PFAS exposure appears to affect the immune and hormonal systems, liver function and other bodily processes.

Charleston, SC On August 29, the District Court for the District of South Carolina preliminarily approved a revision to the $12.5 billion proposed settlement in a class action perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl lawsuit brought by a long list of water utilities. The settlement was reached after a five-year legal battle that involved 37.4 million pages of discovery documents and more than 160 depositions. The revision is specifically designed to protect the utilities from some future liabilities.