Kidde Fire Fighting, Inc., now named Kidde PLC Inc., is an American multinational company that manufactures fire safety products and equipment. While Kidde-Fenwal, Inc. specializes in advanced suppression systems for industrial purposes, KFF produces widely used products like smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide alarms, and many more.
Kidde Fire Fighting was founded in 1917 as Walter Kidde Company, known as the pioneers of integrated smoke detector and CO2 extinguisher systems. As a leading manufacturer in the fire industry, Kidde manufactured and distributed aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) products, which were widely used for extinguishing liquid fires, especially by military and civilian firefighters on military bases and airport hangars. The problem with AFFF was that it contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been linked to severe health conditions.
PFAS chemicals made AFFF effective against liquid fires that ignite from oil or gas, mainly because they form a lasting carbon-fluorine film that prevents the fire from reigniting. The carbon-fluorine bond is the strongest single bond in organic chemistry. It allows PFAS chemicals to persist in the environment. Unfortunately, they are soluble in water and can be ingested by the body through skin exposure or drinking water consumption. PFAS accumulation in the blood and different organs in the body has been linked to chronic diseases and various cancers, including kidney cancer and testicular cancer.
These are some of the AFFF products that Kidde Fire Fighting manufactured or sold:
Over 10,000 lawsuits over AFFF exposure had been filed in Multidistrict Litigation No. 2873 (MDL 2873), known as the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Products Liability Litigation. Kidde Fire Fighting has been named as one of the defendants being sued for causing PFAS contamination and producing AFFF that brought harm to communities, particularly military and civilian firefighters.
In August 2020, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed two lawsuits against over 30 AFFF manufacturers for manufacturing, selling, and distributing AFFF products that led to PFAS contamination. One lawsuit was filed in federal court, and the other was filed in state court, but both lawsuits named Kidde Fire Fighting, Inc. as one of the defendants.
If you have been exposed to AFFF as a military or civilian firefighter, you may be eligible for AFFF claims if you developed any of the following diseases:
We encourage all military and civilian firefighters to explore all legal options available to recover the medical costs of your PFAS-related disease, along with income loss and other personal damages. Our team can evaluate your medical documents and military or employment records to assess your eligibility for a claim. If you are eligible, we will connect you with a specialized lawyer to handle your AFFF claim.
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