Firefighters are one of the bravest people on the planet. However, they are constantly exposed to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals that are also known as “forever chemicals.” These chemicals are produced through aqueous film-forming foal or AFFF, which is the type of synthetic foam that is used in emergencies and in training.
Because of the exposure, some firefighters have suffered permanent health issues. Not only do they have to deal with this, but they also need to cover the medical bills and buy the medicine they need to maintain their condition.
Therefore, a large number of firefighting foal lawsuits have been filed. And in this article, we will let you know everything about these lawsuits, who can file them and under which conditions.
What You Should Know About Firefighting Foam
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First of all, let’s learn something about the firefighting foam and the toxic substances firefighters are exposed to.
There are different types of foam:
- Class A
- Class B
What is the difference between these two? Firefighters use Class A foam when they are putting out wildfires and structural fires. On the other hand, Class B is used for “flammable and combustible liquids and gases; petroleum greases, tars, oils and gasoline; and solvents and alcohols.”
This distinction is important because Class A foam doesn’t contain PFAS, whereas the Class B does. The Class B foam is found all over the USA in stock and it has been widely used across the state, eventually causing health issues for a large number of firefighters.
Which Cancers Have Been Linked to Firefighting Foam
The health issues firefighters develop because of the exposure are not benign. The firefighter foam lawsuits are typically filed because people developed some types of cancer or any other serious disease.
Below, we have provided the list of cancer types that people usually receive from firefighting foam as well as some other health issues:
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Leukemia
- Myeloma
- Lymphoma
These are the most common consequences of foam exposure and any firefighter who has suffered any of these types of cancer or disease can look for a lawyer and file a lawsuit. If you are not sure whether Firefighting Foam Lawsuit is the step in right direction, you can definitely have a free consultation with Law Offices of Timothy L. Miles and get their advice on the matter.
Talking With Lawyers
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The process of filing a lawsuit is straightforward and you will have to follow your Firefighting Foam Lawyer’s direction. The first thing the layer does is determine whether your case can go to court. Therefore, you have to be prepared to answer some questions regarding your work and medical history.
The lawyers have to know what they are working with, otherwise, they may not have enough information for the lawsuit. For example, this may mean that you will have to disclose some information such as the names of the people you worked with and reveal the details from your work.
After that, you will most likely answer some questions regarding your diagnosis and the condition and how has your life changed after you’ve been diagnosed.
The Lawsuit
After your lawyer collects all the information, they will be able to find the AFFF manufacturer that supplied the foam to your station. A lot of firefighters are afraid that they will have to file a lawsuit again their former employees and bosses, but that is not the case.
If you file a lawsuit, the defendant in the case will be the AFFF manufacturer. The case will explain why the producer of the foam is responsible for your condition and they will need to compensate you for it.
What the Lawsuit Claims Are
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For example, you can claim that the defendant didn’t provide sufficient warnings regarding the use of the AFFF foam and the toxic chemicals which enter into our bodies. Furthermore, the manufacturers may have failed to provide the users with the instruction on what to do to lessen the exposure to the toxic chemicals.
These are two common claims, but there are some other options. It might be possible to claim that the seller intentionally concealed the information regarding the hazards or that they could have manufacture a safer alternative to what they sold.
Of course, each lawsuit will be unique to the firefighter, depending on their personal experience and diagnosis as well as the manufacturer who made the foam.
What Can You Get from a Firefighting Foam Lawsuit?
There are different outcomes of lawsuits. If a firefighter died from the exposure to the toxic elements, you may have the funeral expenses covered. Furthermore, they might compensate you for the loss of spousal benefits and mental anguish.
If the firefighter survived some of the common reimbursements include past and future medical bills, lost wages, loss of employment and pain and suffering.
As we have said before, every case is different and it is best to check with your lawyers to see what you can expect from this lawsuit.
Final Words
In this article, we covered everything that you need to know about firefighting foam lawsuits. At the beginning, we distinguished between the different types of foam and explain what it is that firefighters are exposed to. We’ve also specified how foam gets into their systems and what the common diseases and cancers are.
After that, we proceeded to the legal side of things. Contacting your lawyer is the first thing you need to do. A majority of lawyers will give you a free consultation in order to determine whether a lawsuit makes sense. After you talk with the lawyers, you will hear from them regarding the next step.
Firefighters who have been exposed to Class B foam and toxic chemicals can be compensated if the lawsuit is successful. And there’s no reason why it will not be. Experienced lawyers have worked with former firefighters and their families in order to deliver justice for them and they will know what to do!
Hope these brave people can successfully sue! Firefighters are some of the bravest people on earth. Dangers often arise during rescue operations, and dangerous things happen. And what can reward them? That’s the firefighter Challenge Coin, an honor reward. Beautiful and high-quality custom firefighter challenge coins are awarded to those who are brave and responsible.
