Taft and Lawyers Leading PFAS Litigation Announce Another Historic “Forever Chemicals” Drinking Water Settlement

CINCINNATI, April 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Taft is among a coalition of law firms that have been working together for over a decade to lead litigation and secure settlements on behalf of those harmed by PFAS  contamination. The coalition is pleased to announce yet another major settlement to address this “forever chemicals” contamination in U.S. drinking water supplies in the context of the ongoing multi-district litigation to address claims for damage from PFAS released from aqueous film-forming firefighting foam (the AFFF MDL). This latest settlement, reached with Tyco Fire Products LP (Tyco), a wholly-owned, indirect subsidiary of Johnson Controls, will provide an additional $750 million in settlement benefits, adding to the earlier announced settlements with 3M and DuPont-related companies, valued at up to over $13.5 billion for U.S. drinking water providers.

Michael London of coalition firm Douglas & London in New York serves as Co-Lead Counsel for all plaintiffs in the AFFF MDL and proposed Class Counsel for the new Tyco settlement. Gary Douglas, also of Douglas & London and lead trial counsel and Co-Chair of the Science Committee for plaintiffs in the AFFF MDL, stated, “We are proud to continue our fight for justice for the American people, and in particular the public water systems who serve millions of Americans who so desperately need funding to remove PFAS  from our drinking water. We commend the leadership at Tyco for helping to make this possible.”

Taft Partner Rob Bilott, who serves as the court-appointed Advisory Counsel to plaintiffs in the AFFF MDL and Co-Chair of the Science Committee, added, “This new settlement with Tyco is another historic step forward in what has been many years of work to make sure that those responsible for the contamination of our nation’s drinking water supply with PFAS “forever chemicals” pay for the damage – not the victims of the contamination.”

Lawyers at the Levin Papantonio law firm in Pensacola, Florida also have been key members of this national PFAS litigation team for more than a decade, with partners Mike Papantonio, Ned McWilliams, and Wes Bowden helping lead trial teams and holding key leadership roles in the AFFF MDL.

Kevin Madonna and lawyers at SL Environmental have also been instrumental members of the national PFAS litigation team for years.

The legal team’s remarkable efforts on PFAS have been the subject feature length documentaries, including “The Devil We Know” and “How to Poison a Planet,” a Hollywood film, “Dark Waters,” and the book “Exposure.”

The legal team is currently representing injured parties, including more than 200 public water providers, in ongoing efforts to address PFAS damages.

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SOURCE Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP