Products Liability Law Daily Wrap Up, SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS—CHEMICAL PRODUCTS—3M agrees to $7.35 billion AFFF personal injury settlement, (Nov 4, 2026)

By WK Editorial Staff

The agreement covers approximately 99% of current personal injury claims inside and outside the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Multi-District Litigation in South Carolina.

3M has reached an agreement to resolve most PFAS-related personal injury claims connected to aqueous film-forming foam litigation, making a pre-tax nominal commitment of $7.35 billion over nine years, which the company values at $5.8 billion on a present-value basis. About 115,000 to 120,000 plaintiffs are eligible to participate, including those whose claims have been the focus of the multidistrict litigation (3M Press Release (Nov. 3, 2026)).

Payment structure. The payment schedule includes $50 million in 2026 and no payments in 2027. Approximately 20% of the payments are scheduled for the final two years of the agreement, a structure 3M said was designed to align with its remaining obligations under other legacy settlements.

The company will record a $5.8 billion pre-tax charge in the fourth quarter of 2026. The charge will be treated as a special item in calculating 3M's adjusted results and does not change the company's previously issued 2026 guidance.

Future claims. The agreement also establishes mechanisms for handling remaining and future personal injury claims both within and outside the AFFF litigation. Those mechanisms include payments contingent on plaintiffs joining the resolution and a $680 million reserve fund that is part of the overall financial commitment. 3M also anticipates a court order establishing evidentiary and timing requirements for plaintiffs who seek to pursue litigation in the future.

Chairman and CEO William Brown called the agreement a "significant milestone" that reduces litigation uncertainty. He cited the company's 2023 resolution with U.S. public water suppliers and its more recent settlement with New Jersey as other steps addressing legacy PFAS matters.

PFAS phaseout. According to 3M, the legacy claims primarily concern PFAS compounds that the company announced in 2000 it would voluntarily phase out. In 2022, 3M said it would discontinue manufacturing all PFAS globally by the end of 2025, a goal the company said it met. 3M also said it has invested in water treatment technologies at locations where it historically manufactured PFAS and will continue remediation work at those sites.

No admission of liability. The agreement does not constitute an admission of liability. 3M said that if certain settlement terms are not met, it is prepared to continue defending itself in litigation. The company said additional information about the settlement will be included in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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