Chicago, Illinois AFFF Lawsuit Help Center

Were You Exposed to AFFF in Chicago?

For years, specialized firefighting foams were relied upon to control fires involving jet fuel, gasoline, oil, and other combustible liquids. Aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, became an important part of fire-response systems at aviation facilities, industrial properties, military installations, and other locations where ordinary firefighting methods were not enough.

People who worked around these systems could encounter foam in many different ways. Firefighters might use it during emergency calls or drills. Airport and aviation personnel could work around aircraft-rescue equipment. Industrial employees could encounter fixed suppression systems during inspections or emergencies. Maintenance crews and contractors could come into contact with foam residue while servicing equipment or cleaning affected areas.

Some formulations of AFFF used in past decades contained PFAS chemicals, including PFOA and PFOS. These substances are known for their persistence and ability to remain in the environment for long periods. Certain PFAS can also remain in the body after exposure.

If you worked with AFFF in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois, were exposed during military service, or may have encountered PFAS through contaminated water, a review of your circumstances may help determine whether you have a potential legal claim.

REQUEST A FREE, CONFIDENTIAL CASE REVIEW

There is no charge to request an evaluation, and requesting information does not require you to file a lawsuit.

Why AFFF Exposure Can Be Difficult to Trace

A person does not necessarily need to have stood directly in a cloud of firefighting foam to have experienced exposure.

Contact could have occurred through repeated workplace activities involving foam equipment, including:

• Operating emergency firefighting systems
• Participating in aircraft or fuel-fire drills
• Inspecting foam tanks and delivery equipment
• Refilling or draining suppression systems
• Repairing pumps, hoses, valves, and other components
• Cleaning vehicles or work areas after foam deployment
• Handling protective equipment that had contacted foam
• Working near areas where AFFF was routinely stored or discharged
• Encountering runoff following training or emergency operations

For some workers, exposure may have happened repeatedly over months or years without any obvious sign that chemicals were accumulating in the surrounding environment.

A potential case therefore requires more than identifying a job title. The relevant location, time period, duties, equipment, products used, frequency of contact, and subsequent medical history may all need to be considered.

Understanding AFFF and PFAS

AFFF is a firefighting formulation designed for fires involving flammable liquids. When applied to a fuel surface, the foam can create a barrier that helps cool the fire, limit contact with oxygen, suppress vapors, and reduce the possibility of reignition.

Certain AFFF products historically relied on PFAS compounds because of their ability to withstand heat and resist water, oil, and degradation. Those same characteristics contributed to concerns about their persistence after release.

PFAS is a broad family of chemicals rather than one single substance. PFOA and PFOS are two compounds that have been extensively studied. The ingredients used in firefighting foams have varied depending on the product and the period when it was manufactured and used.

For that reason, determining whether someone was exposed may require examining historical product information, employment records, facility records, environmental data, and other evidence rather than assuming every AFFF product was identical.

Chicago-Area Settings Where AFFF May Have Been Used

Because AFFF was developed for specialized fire hazards, its use was concentrated in particular types of facilities.

Potential exposure environments in the Chicago region can include:

Aviation Facilities

Aircraft rescue and firefighting operations may use specialized foam systems because aviation fuel fires present unique hazards. Personnel working around aircraft, emergency vehicles, hangars, fuel areas, or firefighting equipment may have encountered AFFF during drills, inspections, or emergencies.

Fire Departments and Training Operations

Firefighters may have encountered AFFF during specialized training involving simulated fuel fires, equipment demonstrations, emergency responses, and suppression-system testing.

Exposure may also involve cleaning equipment or handling protective gear after foam deployment.

Industrial and Manufacturing Properties

Large industrial operations sometimes maintain dedicated fire-suppression equipment for hazardous materials and combustible liquids. Workers may have encountered AFFF during system testing, emergency events, repairs, inspections, or cleanup.

Fuel and Petroleum Operations

Facilities that store, transfer, process, or transport petroleum products may have relied on specialized firefighting systems capable of responding to liquid-fuel fires. Employees and contractors working around these systems could potentially have experienced repeated contact.

Military and Defense Facilities

Military firefighters, service members, aircraft personnel, maintenance workers, and civilian employees may have encountered AFFF during aircraft operations, emergency-response exercises, fire training, or equipment maintenance.

Areas Potentially Affected by Historical Releases

AFFF does not necessarily remain confined to the location where it was initially used. Depending on the circumstances, PFAS can move through soil and groundwater after a release. Environmental testing and historical records may therefore be important when investigating possible exposure through water.

Who Should Consider an AFFF Exposure Review?

A potential claim may be worth investigating if you previously:

• Worked as a firefighter or emergency responder
• Participated in specialized fire-suppression training
• Worked in aircraft rescue and firefighting
• Served as military or aviation personnel
• Maintained aircraft, emergency vehicles, or firefighting equipment
• Worked around foam concentrate, tanks, pumps, or suppression systems
• Performed repairs or inspections on AFFF equipment
• Cleaned areas or equipment following foam applications
• Worked at industrial or fuel-related facilities using AFFF
• Lived or worked near a location associated with historical PFAS releases
• Used or drank water potentially affected by an AFFF release
• Developed a serious illness after a history of potential PFAS exposure

Eligibility cannot be determined from occupation alone. A meaningful evaluation may require information about when and where exposure occurred, how the person came into contact with AFFF, how often exposure happened, and what medical condition was later diagnosed.

Chicago Firefighters and Emergency Personnel

Firefighters are among the workers who may have had repeated contact with specialized firefighting foam.

In addition to using AFFF during certain emergency situations, firefighters could encounter the substance while participating in training exercises, checking suppression equipment, servicing emergency vehicles, or cleaning contaminated areas.

Retired firefighters may also have exposure histories dating back decades, making the period of employment and the type of firefighting equipment used potentially important when reviewing a claim.

Aviation Employees and Airport Workers

AFFF has historically been associated with aviation firefighting because of the dangers presented by aircraft-fuel fires.

Potentially affected workers could include:

• Aircraft rescue firefighters
• Airport maintenance personnel
• Aircraft mechanics
• Fuel-service employees
• Emergency-response crews
• Hangar workers
• Contractors
• Fire-suppression technicians
• Aviation training personnel

Exposure may have occurred during both emergency situations and routine testing or maintenance.

Military Service and AFFF Exposure

AFFF exposure is not necessarily limited to people who lived or worked in Chicago.

A veteran or former service member may have encountered firefighting foam at a military installation, airfield, naval facility, training location, or other duty station in Illinois or elsewhere in the United States.

Military personnel who worked with aircraft, fuel systems, emergency response, firefighting, or maintenance may want to document the locations and years where AFFF was used as part of evaluating a potential claim.

Industrial Workers and Contractors

Employees are not the only people who may have encountered AFFF at an industrial site.

Contractors, maintenance personnel, equipment technicians, cleaners, mechanics, and other workers could potentially have come into contact with firefighting foam while servicing equipment or working in areas where suppression systems had been activated.

In some situations, the exposure history of a contractor may be different from that of the facility's permanent employees, so the specific work performed can be important.

Could Drinking Water Be Part of the Exposure History?

PFAS contamination can be an environmental issue as well as an occupational one.

If AFFF was historically released at or near a facility, PFAS may potentially migrate through soil and groundwater. Depending on local conditions, contamination could affect a private well or another water source.

A suspected connection should not be assumed without supporting evidence. Water-quality testing, environmental investigations, historical site information, facility records, and other documentation can help establish whether PFAS was present and where it came from.

Health Conditions Discussed in AFFF Litigation

Scientific research into PFAS exposure continues to develop. Government agencies and researchers have examined possible relationships between exposure to certain PFAS compounds and a range of health outcomes.

Importantly, finding an association between a chemical and a health condition does not automatically establish that the chemical caused a particular person's illness.

A legal evaluation may consider the individual's diagnosis alongside exposure evidence, medical records, scientific information, other potential risk factors, and the requirements of the applicable law.

Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer has been studied in connection with exposure to certain PFAS compounds, particularly PFOA. A person diagnosed with kidney cancer after potential AFFF exposure may need to document the nature and duration of exposure, when the exposure occurred, when the diagnosis was made, and other relevant medical and personal factors.

Testicular Cancer

Testicular cancer has also been examined in studies involving PFOA and has been alleged in PFAS-related litigation.

A diagnosis by itself does not prove that AFFF exposure caused the disease. However, a documented history of significant exposure may be one factor considered when determining whether a claim should receive further legal review.

Other Medical Conditions

PFAS research has examined additional cancers and health outcomes. The scientific evidence differs depending on the specific chemical, level of exposure, and medical condition.

Anyone considering an AFFF claim should have the particular diagnosis and exposure history evaluated rather than assuming that every illness is automatically covered by current litigation.

What Could an AFFF Claim Potentially Recover?

The damages available in a personal-injury or wrongful-death case depend on the facts and the law governing the claim.

Depending on the circumstances, a claim could potentially seek compensation for:

• Medical treatment and healthcare expenses
• Hospital stays and surgical procedures
• Prescription medications and rehabilitation
• Future treatment and monitoring
• Lost wages
• Reduced future earning capacity
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment or quality of life
• Loss of companionship or household support
• Funeral and burial expenses in a wrongful-death case
• Other damages permitted by applicable law

There is no predetermined value for an AFFF claim. The potential value of a case can depend on the severity of the illness, medical expenses, evidence connecting the exposure to the claimed injury, employment and exposure history, applicable law, and other individual circumstances.

Take the First Step Toward Understanding Your Options

If you believe you were exposed to AFFF through firefighting, military service, aviation work, industrial employment, or contaminated water, gathering information about your exposure may be an important first step.

Employment records, military records, medical documentation, facility information, environmental testing, and other evidence may help establish the history surrounding a potential claim.

REQUEST A FREE, CONFIDENTIAL CASE REVIEW

There is no obligation to pursue a lawsuit simply because you request an evaluation. Each potential AFFF claim should be reviewed based on its own exposure history, medical circumstances, and applicable legal requirements.