Last updated: July 2026 | MDL 2873 (D.S.C.) - personal injury track in active pretrial proceedings
California residents exposed to PFAS chemicals through contaminated water supplies or firefighting foam at former military bases, airports, and industrial sites are among the claimants filing in MDL 2873. California has documented PFAS contamination at multiple former military installations and has enacted some of the nation's most stringent state-level PFAS standards - creating an extensive public record that claimants use to establish the exposure element of their claims.
This is not legal advice. Every claim turns on individual facts - exposure source, medical condition, and when the harm became discoverable. Talk to a licensed attorney in California before taking any legal steps.
California's Filing Window for PFAS Claims
California's general personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date of injury under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1. For latent injury cases involving toxic substance exposure, California courts apply the delayed discovery rule, which delays the start of the limitations period until the claimant discovered or reasonably should have discovered the injury and its cause.
In PFAS cases, the delayed discovery rule is frequently applied because: communities were often unaware of contamination for years, the scientific link between PFAS and specific medical conditions developed gradually, and California's PFAS monitoring programs only began issuing advisories for some communities in recent years.
Statute of limitations rules vary by state and by the specific facts of each claim. California also has specific toxic tort provisions under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.8, which applies a two-year period from discovery for exposure to hazardous materials causing injury.
Additional tolling considerations in California PFAS cases:
- ·Discovery timing: Communities near former El Toro, Tustin, March AFB, and Travis AFB received contamination notifications at different times. The discovery clock may run from official notification.
- ·Fraudulent concealment: California courts may extend the discovery period where a defendant suppressed information about PFAS health risks.
- ·Minor claimants: California tolls limitations for minors until they reach age 18.
A licensed California attorney can assess the delayed discovery rule and CCP Section 340.8 as applied to your specific facts.
Who Qualifies Under MDL 2873 Criteria
MDL 2873 evaluates personal injury claims on two criteria: qualifying PFAS exposure and a diagnosed medical condition linked to that exposure.
Exposure criteria generally considered for California claimants:
- ·Consumed water from a California municipal system or private well with confirmed PFAS contamination above EPA health advisory levels (4 ppt for PFOA/PFOS under current EPA guidance - California has set stricter state standards at 5.1 ppt for PFOA and 6.5 ppt for PFOS effective 2023)
- ·Lived or worked near a California former military installation where AFFF was regularly used - including former MCAS El Toro, former MCAS Tustin, former March AFB, Travis AFB, Edwards AFB, Vandenberg Space Force Base, NAS Point Mugu, and NAS Lemoore
- ·Worked as a firefighter, military firefighter, or aircraft rescue firefighter with direct AFFF contact
Medical conditions recognized in current MDL 2873 litigation:
- ·Kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma)
- ·Testicular cancer
- ·Thyroid disease (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism)
- ·Ulcerative colitis
- ·Pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia
- ·Elevated cholesterol as a contributing qualifying factor
- ·Bladder cancer (under active consideration as of mid-2026)
A licensed attorney can assess whether your specific diagnosis is currently recognized in MDL 2873 case management.
How PFAS Exposure Gets Documented in California
California has one of the most extensive public PFAS documentation frameworks in the country, which benefits claimants establishing the exposure element of their claims:
California State Water Resources Control Board: California began mandatory PFAS monitoring for public water systems in 2020. The State Water Board's PFAS database is publicly searchable and documents which California water systems have tested positive above notification levels and above state maximum contaminant levels (MCLs).
Federal military installation records: Former California military bases including MCAS El Toro (Irvine), MCAS Tustin, March AFB (Riverside County), and others are subject to federal CERCLA cleanup programs. PFAS contamination investigation records from these sites are publicly available through DERA and EPA databases.
California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) records: DTSC maintains records of PFAS contamination investigations at California industrial sites.
Blood serum PFAS testing: PFAS bioaccumulate in human tissue and are detectable years after exposure ends. Serum testing above population background levels strengthens the exposure chain.
Medical records: Diagnosis records, pathology reports, and treatment history for a qualifying condition form the medical side of the claim. Expert medical testimony is typically required for trial or settlement valuation.
California attorneys handling MDL 2873 cases use these public databases as a starting point for claim evaluation. You do not need to have gathered all records before your initial attorney consultation.
California-Specific Procedural Notes
Where California cases get filed:
PFAS personal injury cases originating in California are typically filed in:
- ·Northern District of California (covers San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, Sacramento - near Travis AFB, former Moffett Field)
- ·Central District of California (covers Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, Riverside - near former MCAS El Toro, former MCAS Tustin, March AFB, Edwards AFB, NAS Point Mugu)
- ·Southern District of California (covers San Diego, Imperial - near NAS Coronado, Miramar)
- ·Eastern District of California (covers Fresno, Sacramento valley, northern Nevada border - near NAS Lemoore)
Cases transfer to MDL 2873 in the District of South Carolina for centralized pretrial proceedings.
MDL 2873 status as of July 2026:
Personal injury claims are in active pretrial proceedings. Bellwether case selection is ongoing. Water utility settlements have addressed municipal remediation claims separately from personal injury tracks.
California state law considerations:
California has enacted the nation's most stringent PFAS MCLs for drinking water as of 2023 - stricter than the EPA federal standards. This creates an extensive regulatory record that California claimants can use to establish exposure from public water systems. California also prohibits PFAS-containing firefighting foam except at specific military and industrial sites, which narrows the current exposure landscape while providing documentation for historical claims.
PFAS Contamination Sites in California
California has significant documented PFAS contamination, particularly at former military installations in Orange County, the Inland Empire, and the Bay Area:
Former MCAS El Toro (Irvine, Orange County): The former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro is one of the largest PFAS contamination cleanup sites on the West Coast. Federal CERCLA investigations have documented extensive PFAS plumes affecting groundwater and surrounding communities in the Irvine area. The site is under ongoing EPA Superfund oversight.
Former MCAS Tustin (Tustin, Orange County): Adjacent to the El Toro contamination area, this former Marine Corps air station has documented PFAS contamination in federal investigation records.
March Air Reserve Base (Riverside County): Federal environmental investigation records document PFAS contamination at this installation in the Inland Empire region.
Travis Air Force Base (Fairfield, Solano County): Federal PFAS investigations have documented contamination at and near this major logistics hub in the Bay Area.
Edwards Air Force Base (Lancaster, Kern County): PFAS contamination from AFFF testing and use at this research installation has been documented in federal records.
NAS Lemoore (Kings County, Central Valley): Federal environmental investigation records cover PFAS contamination at this active Navy installation.
Statewide water system monitoring: The California State Water Board PFAS database documents dozens of additional public water systems across California with elevated PFAS readings, from communities in the Central Valley to coastal areas.
Documented proximity to any of these sites is one element of a claim. A qualifying medical diagnosis is also required.
What the PFAS Settlement Framework Looks Like
Publicly reported figures are informational only and cannot predict the value of any individual claim.
Water utility settlements (compensate water systems, not individual claimants):
- ·3M announced approximately 0.3 billion to resolve PFAS claims from U.S. public water systems
- ·DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva announced approximately .185 billion for similar water utility claims
These settlements are separate from individual personal injury litigation.
Personal injury claim resolution ranges:
Individual PFAS personal injury values in mass tort litigation depend on:
- ·Medical condition type (cancer-tier versus non-cancer qualifying conditions)
- ·Duration and concentration of exposure established through available documentation
- ·Strength of the causation chain between source, exposure, and diagnosed condition
- ·Which defendants are named
- ·Settlement matrix tier applicable to the condition
Mass tort settlement matrices in comparable litigation have shown ranges from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars per qualifying claimant depending on condition classification. These are historical references and future MDL 2873 resolution values may differ.
A licensed California attorney with MDL 2873 experience can give a realistic assessment for your specific circumstances.
Next Steps for California Claimants
If you were exposed to PFAS in California and have been diagnosed with a qualifying condition, the starting point is a free case evaluation with an attorney who handles MDL 2873 matters.
What an initial evaluation covers:
- ·Exposure history: where you lived, proximity to documented California military AFFF sites, water source, blood serum test results if available
- ·Medical history: qualifying condition and diagnosis timeline under California's delayed discovery rule
- ·Realistic assessment of where your claim fits in the current MDL process
Most mass tort attorneys handle PFAS cases on contingency - no upfront fees. Any attorney fee comes from a recovery.
Last10Legal connects California claimants with licensed attorneys who handle PFAS personal injury cases. The intake evaluation is free.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Talk to a licensed attorney in California before making decisions about your PFAS claim.