3M has agreed to pay $7.35 billion to settle lawsuits involving as many as 120,000 people who allege that toxic chemicals in firefighting foam caused cancer and other serious illnesses.
The company announced the agreement Tuesday, November 3, 2026, saying it would resolve approximately 99% of existing personal injury claims involving PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals." The lawsuits are part of widespread litigation consolidated in federal court in South Carolina, along with related claims filed elsewhere.
Payments will begin with $50 million in 2026 and resume in 2028, with installments continuing through 2034. Approximately 20% of the total is scheduled for the final two years. The agreement also includes a $680 million reserve to address remaining and future personal injury claims.
Between 115,000 and 120,000 people are eligible to participate, according to 3M. Compensation will depend on claimants joining the settlement and meeting its requirements, while the company retains the right to continue defending claims if agreed conditions are unmet.
For decades, firefighters and military personnel used aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, to extinguish fuel fires at airports, military installations and other facilities. Thousands later filed lawsuits alleging that exposure to PFAS compounds in the foam contributed to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease and other illnesses.
The lawsuits accused 3M and other manufacturers of selling products containing hazardous chemicals while failing to adequately warn users about potential health risks. 3M has denied liability for the alleged injuries.
U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel has overseen the consolidated litigation in Charleston, South Carolina, since 2018. The proceedings have included disputes over whether exposure to particular PFAS compounds can cause specific diseases, along with court-ordered reviews of the evidence supporting individual claims.
Before the settlement, those reviews had resulted in tens of thousands of claims being dismissed without prejudice, allowing for the possibility that some could be brought again. The court also appointed a mediator to oversee settlement negotiations as litigation continued over the remaining claims.
A trial involving kidney cancer allegations had initially been scheduled for October 2025, but the court canceled that date in August 2025. No replacement date had been set before the settlement announcement.
The agreement will also carry a substantial financial cost for 3M. The company expects to record a $5.8 billion charge in the fourth quarter of 2026, representing the present value of its payments through 2034.
The latest settlement follows an earlier agreement with U.S. public drinking water suppliers over PFAS contamination. That deal, reached in 2023 and approved by a federal judge in March 2024, provides between $10.5 billion and $12.5 billion to help water systems address contamination. The new agreement is directed at individuals alleging physical injuries from exposure to the chemicals.
3M began phasing out certain PFAS compounds in 2000 and announced in 2022 that it would discontinue manufacturing all PFAS worldwide by the end of 2025. The company said Tuesday that it had completed the transition.
The agreement anticipates a federal court order establishing evidence requirements and deadlines for people who pursue future lawsuits. Its implementation will depend on eligible claimants participating and the settlement conditions being met.
