Nachawati Law Group’s Gale Pearson is a featured speaker at the American Association for Justice’s annual convention July 14 – 18 in Philadelphia. Gale will be providing an update and overview of the PFAS “Forever Chemicals” multidistrict litigation (MDL) underway in South Carolina federal court.
Gale is vice chair of the AAJ’s environmental litigation division. In 2004, she was the first to file a lawsuit on behalf of communities with water supplies contaminated by PFAS. Working with the Minnesota Attorney General’s office, the lawsuit resulted in an $850 settlement.
PFAS chemicals are found in a wide variety of products, from firefighting foam to nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, cosmetics, and a wide variety of consumer and industrial products that resist grease, water and oil.
More than 4,000 plaintiffs have joined the MDL, including water suppliers, individuals, firefighters and property owners. The MDL seeks damages from manufacturers including 3M and DuPont for contaminating water supplies, causing cancer and other health problems, and damaging property. 3M has proposed a $10.3 billion settlement to resolve litigation related to water provider plaintiffs.