AFFF Firefighting Foam Lawsuit in Colorado

What Colorado residents should know

Colorado residents alleging injury after occupational, military, airport, industrial, training, or water exposure to PFAS-containing firefighting foam may have federal claims coordinated in MDL-2873 in the District of South Carolina.

Colorado law can remain relevant to filing deadlines and claim evaluation even after a federal case is transferred to the MDL.

How is Colorado removing PFAS firefighting foam from service?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment operates a PFAS Takeback Program for eligible fire departments and commercial service airports. The program pays participants to remove unspent PFAS-containing foam from service and arranges for collection and destruction. Colorado also offers PFAS testing assistance for private wells. These programs can help identify or reduce exposure sources, but they do not establish an individual legal claim.

Sources: Colorado CDPHE — PFAS Takeback Program; Colorado CDPHE — PFAS Testing and Assistance Program; U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina — AFFF MDL-2873.

What facts are commonly reviewed in a Colorado AFFF claim?

Evaluation generally focuses on a particular exposure pathway, a supported diagnosis, and the timeline connecting them.

• Fire department, airport, military, industrial, training-site, or contaminated-water exposure.
• Foam inventories, use logs, incident reports, employment or service records, addresses, and water tests.
• Medical records documenting diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment.
• Dates relevant to Colorado accrual and filing-deadline rules.

What records support AFFF claims in Colorado?

• Fire department, airport, military, industrial, or training records showing AFFF or PFAS exposure.
• Incident reports, foam-use logs, safety data sheets, water testing records, address history, or base/worksite records.
• Diagnosis records, pathology reports, oncology or specialist notes, treatment records, and death certificates where applicable.
• Witness names, co-worker statements, photos, calendars, or documents tying the exposure to a specific site and time period.

What exposure and legal context matter in Colorado?

Colorado residents may have encountered PFAS-containing AFFF through fire departments, commercial airports, military installations, industrial facilities, training areas, or contaminated groundwater and drinking water.

Where are Colorado AFFF cases handled?

Living in Colorado does not necessarily mean the case will be filed only in Colorado. Claims may be evaluated by national firms, filed in federal court, coordinated through MDL proceedings, or handled through another legal process.

Federal courts in Colorado

• District of Colorado

What is the filing deadline for AFFF lawsuits in Colorado?

For a Colorado resident researching AFFF claims, the starting point is usually Colorado's general personal injury period: 2 years under Colo. Rev. Stat. 13-80-102. That is only a starting point, not a final legal deadline for every person.

The real filing deadline can depend on diagnosis date, when the injury and possible cause were discovered, exposure location, wrongful-death issues, prior claim paperwork, and whether the case is filed directly, transferred to an MDL, or handled through another process.

Discovery-rule note: Colorado accrual rules can turn on when the injury and its cause were known or reasonably should have been known.

How long do Colorado residents have to file?

Colorado's personal injury statute of limitations applicable to product liability claims is 2 years (Colo. Rev. Stat. 13-80-102). Accrual timing, tolling, and repose periods can still change the real deadline in an individual case.

• Filing period: 2 years — Colo. Rev. Stat. 13-80-102.
• Discovery rule: Colorado accrual rules can turn on when the injury and its cause were known or reasonably should have been known.

Because the controlling deadline depends on diagnosis date, discovery facts, exposure history, wrongful-death rules, and how the claim is filed, only a licensed attorney can confirm the deadline that applies to a specific situation. This page is general legal information, not legal advice.

What should Colorado residents ask a lawyer?

• Are you reviewing personal injury AFFF/PFAS claims, water-system claims, or both?
• What exposure records do you need for my firefighting, military, airport, industrial, or water-contamination history?
• Is my diagnosis one currently being evaluated in the personal injury litigation?
• How do state filing deadlines affect my diagnosis and exposure timeline?
• Would my claim be handled locally, nationally, or through the MDL?
• Are there upfront costs?