US industrial conglomerate 3M has agreed to pay $7.35 billion to settle personal injury claims linked to exposure to PFAS chemicals in firefighting foams, potentially resolving claims involving up to 120,000 people.
Announced on 3 November, the agreement covers approximately 99% of existing personal injury claims against 3M, both within and outside a long-running US federal litigation process concerning aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF).
The litigation, consolidated in the US District Court for South Carolina under Multidistrict Litigation No. 2873, concerns alleged health effects associated with exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of persistent synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial and consumer products.
AFFF has historically been used to extinguish flammable liquid fires, particularly at airports, military installations and industrial facilities. Some formulations contain PFAS compounds that can contaminate soil and water and persist in the environment for long periods.
Exposure to certain PFAS has been associated with health problems including kidney and testicular cancers, liver damage and impaired immune responses. The litigation includes claims from individuals who allege that exposure to PFAS-containing firefighting foam caused serious illness.
Under the settlement, 3M will make payments totalling $7.35 billion over nine years, with a present value of $5.8 billion. The company said between 115,000 and 120,000 plaintiffs would be eligible to participate.
The agreement includes a $680 million reserve for remaining and future claims, while other mechanisms will address cases that fall outside the main settlement.
Attorneys representing claimants welcomed the announcement.
“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.”
The statement was issued jointly by Motley Rice attorneys Fred Thompson, liaison counsel for the litigation, and David Hoyle, who served on the 3M settlement negotiation team.
3M chairman and chief executive William Brown described the agreement as a significant milestone that would substantially reduce litigation uncertainty.
“Following our 2023 resolution with U.S. public water suppliers and our more recent settlement with the State of New Jersey, this is another important step in managing legacy PFAS matters,” he said.
The company emphasised that the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability.
The agreement follows a separate settlement reached in 2023, under which 3M agreed to pay up to $10.3 billion to US public water systems over PFAS contamination claims. That agreement concerned the costs of testing and treating contaminated drinking water, rather than compensation for personal injuries.
3M said the latest claims primarily concern PFAS compounds it began phasing out in 2000. The company also confirmed that it had completed its previously announced withdrawal from PFAS manufacturing worldwide by the end of 2025.
The settlement represents a major development in the legal and financial consequences of historical PFAS use, although it does not resolve all existing or potential claims concerning the chemicals.
