3M has agreed to pay up to $7.35 billion to settle PFAS-related personal injury claims.
The Nov. 3 agreement stems from multidistrict litigation in federal court in South Carolina over PFAS in firefighting foam. 3M said the deal addresses about 99 percent of current PFAS personal injury claims against the company inside and outside that litigation. It estimates 115,000 to 120,000 plaintiffs are eligible to participate.
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have also been used in water-repellent clothing and stain-resistant fabrics. Many persist in the environment, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals.”
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3M puts the present value of its settlement payments at $5.8 billion and expects to record that amount as a pretax charge in the fourth quarter. The company said it would exclude the charge from its adjusted results. Its 2026 guidance remains unchanged.
“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,” Motley Rice attorneys Fred Thompson and David Hoyle said in a joint statement provided to Sourcing Journal.
Thompson serves as liaison counsel for the multidistrict litigation, while Hoyle was a member of the 3M settlement negotiation team.
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