PFAS Settlement Amounts 2026: Payout Tiers, Major Deals and Claim Value
PFAS settlement amounts must be divided into two different categories: confirmed public-water or environmental settlements and projected personal-injury payouts. Billions of dollars have been committed to water-system and cleanup claims, but no court-approved nationwide personal-injury payout matrix has been announced.
As of the July 1, 2026 JPML report, 15,244 actions were pending in AFFF MDL 2873. The court's Group B personal-injury schedule requires proposed selections and expert-discovery proposals by July 20, 2026 for cases involving thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis.
Latest PFAS Settlement Amounts and AFFF MDL 2873 Status
Federal AFFF and PFAS claims are centralized in MDL 2873 before Judge Richard M. Gergel in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The July 1, 2026 JPML report listed 15,244 pending actions and 19,819 historical actions.
Confirmed and Proposed Major PFAS Settlements
The agreements below primarily address public-water systems, environmental remediation, natural-resource damages or bankruptcy claims. They should not be presented as average personal-injury payouts.
| Defendant or Matter | Amount | Status | What the Money Addresses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3M national public-water settlement | $10.5B–$12.5B nominal total; up to about $10.3B present value | Final approval received in March 2024 | Testing, treatment and remediation costs for eligible U.S. public water systems—not direct individual personal-injury awards. |
| DuPont, Chemours and Corteva | $1.185B | Finalized public-water settlement | Claims by defined public-water systems concerning PFAS-related drinking-water contamination. |
| Tyco Fire Products | $750M | Public-water settlement approved in 2024 | Water-system claims associated with alleged AFFF-related contamination; personal-injury claims remain separate. |
| BASF Corporation | $316.5M | Public-water settlement approved in 2024 | Claims by public water systems alleging PFAS contamination associated with AFFF products. |
| 3M and New Jersey | Up to $450M | Proposed state settlement; multi-decade payment schedule | Natural-resource injuries, PFAS abatement, drinking-water projects, costs, penalties and related statewide claims. |
| Carrier / Kidde-Fenwal bankruptcy package | Approximately $730M proposed package | Conditional Chapter 11 framework; not a finalized nationwide injury matrix | A mix of creditor, water, property, governmental and personal-injury claims through bankruptcy-related funding and insurance rights. |
| Hoosick Falls PFOA litigation | Approximately $92.25M total across agreements | Community class settlements | Property claims, exposure-related benefits and medical monitoring for defined class members—not an MDL-wide personal-injury matrix. |
| Chemours federal environmental consent decree | More than $450M estimated value | Proposed June 2026 federal settlement, subject to court approval | Pollution controls, drinking-water commitments, civil penalties and environmental compliance at facilities in multiple states. |
PFAS Settlement Amounts: Confirmed Facts vs. Projected Individual Payouts
A reliable PFAS compensation guide must separate verified settlement agreements from modeling for unresolved personal-injury claims.
What Is Confirmed
- MDL 2873 is active in the District of South Carolina.
- The July 1, 2026 JPML report listed 15,244 pending actions.
- Multiple public-water and environmental settlements have reached hundreds of millions or billions of dollars.
- Personal-injury bellwether development includes disease categories such as thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis.
What Is Not Yet Known
- No nationwide court-approved personal-injury payout matrix has been announced.
- No reliable MDL-wide average payout exists for an individual PFAS claimant.
- Future injury tiers, proof standards, offsets, liens and payment timing remain uncertain.
- Public-water settlement totals cannot be converted into per-person injury values.
Projected PFAS Settlement Amounts Per Person by Injury Tier
The ranges below are illustrative valuation models based on diagnosis, exposure proof, treatment burden, permanency, causation evidence and documented damages. They are not official settlement offers or promises.
Severe Cancer or Catastrophic Claim
- Kidney, testicular or other serious cancer with strong case-specific proof
- Major surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, recurrence or permanent impairment
- Substantial lost earning capacity, future care or wrongful-death damages
- Strong occupational, military, water-contamination or AFFF exposure evidence
Serious Disease or Moderate-to-High Impact
- Significant thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis or another serious diagnosed condition
- Hospitalization, surgery, long-term medication or meaningful functional limits
- Documented exposure pathway and a consistent medical timeline
- Material medical expense, wage loss or ongoing monitoring needs
Lower Impact or More Disputed Claim
- Documented injury with a lower treatment burden
- Comparatively limited impairment or economic loss
- Shorter, indirect or less complete exposure documentation
- Meaningful causation, timing or defendant-identification disputes
How TortAdvisor Estimates PFAS Settlement Amounts
Because MDL 2873 has no announced personal-injury payout matrix, TortAdvisor's ranges are planning estimates rather than historical averages. The model organizes common toxic-tort valuation factors while keeping confirmed public-water settlements separate.
Diagnosis Severity
Disease type, stage, treatment, recurrence, prognosis, disability and future-care needs.
Exposure Proof
AFFF use, firefighting work, military service, contaminated water, employment history and duration.
Economic Loss
Medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, travel, caregiving and property damage.
Litigation Risk
Causation science, product identification, defendant proof, expert rulings, jurisdiction and deadlines.
PFAS Settlement Amounts by Personal-Injury Claim Profile
| Claim Profile | Illustrative Range | Factors That May Raise Value | Factors That May Reduce Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower-impact documented injury | $75,000–$150,000 | Objective diagnosis, identified contamination source, long exposure history and measurable medical expense. | Limited treatment, weak exposure evidence, alternative causes or expired filing period. |
| Serious chronic disease / moderate impairment | $150,000–$300,000 | Hospitalization, surgery, long-term treatment, occupational AFFF use and significant wage loss. | Good recovery, uncertain product source, short exposure or incomplete records. |
| Severe cancer / permanent impairment | $300,000–$500,000+ | Advanced disease, recurrence, intensive treatment, disability, future care and strong exposure proof. | Causation disputes, competing risk factors, evidentiary gaps or state-law defenses. |
| Wrongful death / catastrophic loss | Case-specific; potentially above severe-injury tier | Strong medical causation, dependency loss, funeral expense and substantial lifetime economic loss. | Standing disputes, statutory limitations, causation problems or damage caps. |
Who May Qualify for PFAS Settlement Amounts?
Eligibility cannot be established by a calculator alone. A lawyer must evaluate the exposure source, diagnosis, timing, responsible defendants, scientific proof, jurisdiction and filing deadline.
Common Screening Factors
- Occupational, military, firefighter or airport exposure to AFFF
- Residence or work near a documented PFAS-contaminated water source
- A diagnosed cancer or other serious condition alleged in the litigation
- Medical records and a timeline connecting exposure and diagnosis
- A claim that remains within the applicable filing period
Factors Requiring Closer Review
- No identified contamination source or AFFF product
- Diagnosis before the alleged PFAS exposure
- Minimal duration or uncertain frequency of exposure
- Alternative occupational, genetic or medical risk factors
- Prior settlement, release, bankruptcy claim or limitations issue
Read the full AFFF firefighting foam lawsuit guide and PFAS cancer lawsuit guide for exposure, disease and litigation details.
Factors That May Increase or Reduce PFAS Settlement Amounts
Diagnosis and Prognosis
Disease type, stage, recurrence, treatment response, permanency and expected future care may materially affect damages.
Exposure Duration
Years of AFFF use, contaminated-water consumption, military service or workplace exposure may strengthen the exposure narrative.
Source Identification
Documents tying exposure to a military base, airport, fire department, industrial site, water system or identifiable product can be important.
Treatment Intensity
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hospitalization, chronic medication and rehabilitation can increase documented medical damages.
Economic Damages
Past and future medical bills, lost income, reduced earning capacity, caregiving and property losses require reliable documentation.
Legal and Scientific Proof
Medical causation, dose and timing, expert testimony, defendant identification and applicable state law can strengthen or reduce a claim.
Evidence Supporting PFAS Settlement Amount Claims
Exposure Records
- Military or employment history
- Firefighter training and AFFF-use records
- Residential history and water-system notices
- Environmental testing or contamination maps
Medical Records
- Pathology, imaging and diagnosis records
- Oncology, surgery and specialist notes
- Treatment, medication and follow-up records
- Prognosis, impairment and future-care plans
Damages Documentation
- Medical bills and insurance statements
- Wage, tax and employment records
- Disability and future-care evidence
- Property, travel and caregiving expenses
Filing Deadlines for PFAS Settlement Amount Claims
Filing periods vary by state and claim type. The deadline may depend on the diagnosis date, exposure discovery, contamination notice, defendant identity, claimant age, wrongful-death rules and prior procedural orders.
Personal Injury
Often measured from injury, diagnosis or discovery, subject to state-specific discovery rules and tolling.
Wrongful Death
May use a separate and sometimes shorter period beginning on the date of death.
Property or Water Claims
May involve different accrual, notice and governmental-claim requirements than personal injury.
Primary Sources for PFAS Settlement Amounts and MDL Updates
These materials support the confirmed litigation facts and settlement-status descriptions on this page. Projected individual payout ranges are expressly identified as estimates.
July 2026 JPML Report
Pending MDL Dockets by Actions Pending
Official federal report listing 15,244 pending and 19,819 historical actions in MDL 2873.
District of South Carolina
AFFF Products Liability Litigation — MDL 2873
Official court page describing the centralized litigation, allegations and judicial assignment.
CMO 26N
Group B Personal-Injury Bellwether Schedule
Official order setting the July 20, 2026 proposal deadline for Group B cases.
3M Public-Water Settlement
3M Final-Approval Announcement
Company disclosure describing final approval, the payment period and the $12.5 billion nominal cap.
DuPont / Chemours / Corteva
$1.185 Billion Public-Water Agreement
Company disclosure explaining the settlement fund and contribution allocation.
Tyco Fire Products
SEC filing describing Tyco's $750 million public-water settlement and excluded claim categories.
BASF Corporation
BASF Public-Water Settlement Announcement
Company source describing the $316.5 million settlement structure.
New Jersey 3M Settlement
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
State source describing the proposed settlement of up to $450 million and payment schedule.
June 2026 Chemours Agreement
Federal announcement concerning a proposed environmental settlement valued at more than $450 million.
PFAS Health Background
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Federal health background regarding PFAS uses, persistence and research.
Hoosick Falls Settlement
Official Hoosick Falls PFOA Settlement Website
Class definitions, benefits, documents and settlement administration information.
PFAS Water Settlement Administration
Official Public-Water Settlement Website
Program documents, notices, deadlines and administration materials for eligible water systems.
Frequently Asked Questions About PFAS Settlement Amounts
What is the average PFAS settlement amount per person?
No reliable nationwide average exists because MDL 2873 has no announced global personal-injury matrix. Current per-person figures are projections, not a court-approved average.
How much could a severe PFAS cancer claim be worth?
Illustrative models may place severe cancer or permanently disabling claims around $300,000 to $500,000 or more, but an actual outcome can be lower, higher or zero.
Does the 3M public-water settlement pay individual injury claims?
No. The national 3M settlement primarily supports eligible public water systems with testing, treatment and remediation costs. It is not a nationwide individual personal-injury fund.
How many PFAS and AFFF lawsuits are pending?
The July 1, 2026 JPML report listed 15,244 pending actions in MDL 2873. Counts change as cases are filed, transferred, dismissed or resolved.
What evidence is most important?
Exposure records, military or employment history, water-contamination evidence, product identification, medical records, treatment history and economic-loss documents are commonly important.
Is the PFAS settlement calculator legally binding?
No. The calculator provides an educational estimate based on limited inputs. It does not establish eligibility, create an attorney-client relationship or guarantee compensation.
Will every PFAS claimant receive the same amount?
No. Any future program may use diagnosis tiers, proof requirements, points, deductions, liens and individual review. Values can differ substantially.
Should I wait for a global settlement before contacting a lawyer?
No. Filing deadlines can expire before settlement negotiations conclude. Prompt review can help identify the correct defendants and preserve exposure and medical evidence.
Use the PFAS Settlement Amounts Calculator
Estimate a preliminary range based on exposure source, diagnosis, treatment, impairment, evidence and economic loss. A licensed attorney must review the facts before providing legal advice.
