New York has a documented history of PFAS contamination at military installations, National Guard bases, and airport fire-training areas. If you trained or worked as a firefighter at a New York site where AFFF was used - or lived near one - and have since been diagnosed with cancer or another serious illness, the connection to PFAS exposure may be worth evaluating with a licensed attorney.
New York claimants are part of MDL 2873, In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, consolidated in the District of South Carolina. As of June 2026, that proceeding continues to advance through bellwether scheduling and settlement discussions.
This page is not legal advice. Filing deadlines for AFFF claims vary by state and depend on individual circumstances. Talk to a licensed attorney in New York before making any decisions about your claim.
Last updated: June 2026. MDL 2873 (D.S.C.) - active.
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New York's AFFF Filing Window
New York's standard personal injury statute of limitations is three years from the date of injury (CPLR SS 214). For AFFF-related illness claims, New York also provides a specific latent-injury provision under CPLR SS 214-c, which governs claims arising from exposure to substances with delayed health effects. Under that provision, the three-year period runs from the date the claimant discovered - or should have discovered - the injury and its potential cause.
For most AFFF claimants, this means the clock begins when:
- ·A qualifying diagnosis is confirmed by a physician
- ·The claimant learns of a potential connection between the diagnosis and PFAS/AFFF exposure
- ·Environmental testing or public reporting documents PFAS contamination at a site where the claimant worked or lived
New York's framework is generally considered more favorable to AFFF claimants than states with strict two-year windows, because the discovery-accrual rule under CPLR SS 214-c can preserve claims that would otherwise be time-barred. However, these rules are complex and fact-specific.
Filing deadlines vary by state. Do not assume your window has closed - and do not assume it remains open indefinitely. Consult a licensed attorney in New York who handles AFFF and PFAS claims.
Who Qualifies for an AFFF Claim in New York
MDL 2873 generally includes claimants who were directly exposed to PFAS through AFFF use and who subsequently developed a qualifying medical condition.
Exposure groups common in New York AFFF cases:
- ·Military firefighters - Air Force, Navy, and National Guard members - who trained or responded to fires at New York installations using AFFF, including Gabreski Air National Guard Base (Westhampton Beach), Stewart Air National Guard Base (Newburgh), Plattsburgh Air Force Base (closed), and Griffiss Air Force Base (closed, now Rome)
- ·Airport and airfield firefighting personnel at New York airports, including John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia, and regional airports with documented AFFF use in fire-training areas
- ·Civilian firefighters at industrial facilities where AFFF was used or stored
- ·Residents of communities near affected military installations whose drinking water was contaminated by PFAS runoff
- ·Former residents of Bethpage, Long Island, and surrounding areas where legacy industrial and military PFAS contamination has been documented
Qualifying conditions (based on current MDL 2873 science proceedings):
- ·Kidney cancer
- ·Testicular cancer
- ·Bladder cancer
- ·Prostate cancer
- ·Thyroid disease
- ·Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- ·Ulcerative colitis
This list is refined as MDL expert proceedings develop. A licensed attorney can assess whether your specific diagnosis fits the current accepted cohort.
Documenting Exposure and Your Qualifying Condition
Two evidentiary pillars support most AFFF claims: evidence of PFAS exposure and medical documentation of a qualifying condition. Attorneys typically work with environmental scientists and medical experts to connect these, but the underlying records come from you.
Exposure documentation:
- ·Military service records (DD-214, unit training logs) confirming firefighting duty at New York installations with documented AFFF use
- ·National Guard service records through the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs
- ·DoD Installation Restoration Program records and PFAS site data for affected New York bases
- ·EPA and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation PFAS monitoring data for affected areas
- ·Employment records from airports or industrial facilities confirming firefighting roles
- ·Water quality test results from municipal systems or private wells showing elevated PFAS levels
Medical documentation:
- ·Pathology or biopsy reports confirming diagnosis
- ·Oncology or specialist records with diagnosis dates and treatment history
- ·Primary care records documenting the history and progression of symptoms
New York State has an active PFAS monitoring program through the DEC and the Department of Health that has produced extensive public records on contamination sites. These records can be useful corroborating evidence. An AFFF attorney can guide record retrieval during intake.
How New York AFFF Cases Move Through MDL 2873
AFFF cases filed by New York claimants typically originate in one of the state's four federal judicial districts - the Eastern District (Brooklyn/Long Island), Southern District (Manhattan/White Plains), Northern District (Albany/Syracuse), or Western District (Buffalo/Rochester) - depending on residence and exposure location. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation then transfers each case to MDL 2873 in the District of South Carolina under 28 U.S.C. SS 1407.
MDL 2873 is not a class action. Each claimant holds a separate individual case. You retain your own counsel, and any settlement offer is evaluated independently. The MDL coordinates pretrial proceedings to avoid duplicating discovery and expert work across thousands of individual cases.
Key MDL 2873 milestones that apply to New York claimants:
- ·Plaintiff Fact Sheets (PFS) documenting each claimant's exposure and diagnosis
- ·General causation expert proceedings establishing the scientific link between PFAS and qualifying diseases
- ·Bellwether trial selections to test specific liability theories and damages scenarios
If a global or inventory settlement is negotiated, each plaintiff and their attorney decide independently whether to accept. No attorney may require acceptance.
What AFFF Settlement Ranges Have Looked Like
AFFF personal-injury litigation is at a different stage than the municipal water-system settlements. 3M's resolution with municipal water providers, announced in 2023 at a reported $10.3 billion, covers water systems - not individual cancer claimants. Those are separate tracks within MDL 2873 and related proceedings.
Personal-injury bellwether cases have been advancing through pretrial scheduling. Reported individual settlement values in PFAS/AFFF personal-injury cases vary based on:
- ·The specific diagnosis and its severity or stage
- ·Duration and documented intensity of PFAS exposure
- ·Age at diagnosis and overall medical prognosis
- ·Defendant-specific liability factors
No settlement formula guarantees a specific recovery. Case-by-case reports from individual resolutions have shown a wide range of outcomes. These are data points from distinct cases with distinct facts - not projections for your case, and not guarantees of any outcome.
Any settlement offer you receive will come through your licensed attorney. Never sign a release without fully understanding its terms and scope.