PFAS Ulcerative Colitis Lawsuit 2026: Status, Payouts, and Deadlines
Quick Answer
- The lawsuit is real: ulcerative colitis claims sit in federal AFFF MDL No. 2873 in South Carolina.
- Payout: not yet determined. No injury settlement is reported; court-ordered talks continue.
- Next date: Group B proposals, covering ulcerative colitis, are due November 20, 2026. No trial date is set.
The PFAS ulcerative colitis lawsuit is real, but it isn’t a settlement yet. Ulcerative colitis is one of six listed injuries in federal AFFF MDL No. 2873.
It affects people with documented PFAS exposure and a colitis diagnosis. The date that matters is November 20, 2026, when Group B bellwether proposals are due.
This guide covers eligibility, money, deadlines, and the 2026 timeline. One surprise: 3M’s September 2026 filing says tens of thousands of claims were dismissed without prejudice.
The Facts
| Case | In re Aqueous Film-Forming Foams (AFFF) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2873 |
| Status | Pretrial. Settlement talks are court-ordered; no injury trial date is set |
| Fund Size | Not yet confirmed. No personal injury fund exists |
| Est. Per Person | Not yet determined |
| Claim Deadline | No global deadline confirmed. Group B proposals are due November 20, 2026 |
| Administrator | Not yet appointed for injury claims |
| Proof Needed | Diagnosis, exposure records, and court-required fact sheets |
Is there a PFAS ulcerative colitis lawsuit?
Yes, ulcerative colitis claims are active in the federal AFFF multidistrict litigation, MDL No. 2873.
The court is the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Judge Richard M. Gergel presides, and the MDL was created in December 2018.
Ulcerative colitis is one of six listed injuries. The others are kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, liver cancer, and thyroid cancer.
A New York man’s suit, reported in October 2024, alleged his colitis came from PFAS in drinking water. The complaint alleges 3M noticed PFAS buildup in its workers as early as 1983.
| Detail | Verified value |
|---|---|
| Court | U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina |
| Judge | Richard M. Gergel |
| Case number | 2:18-mn-02873-RMG |
| Pending actions | 15,264 (reported from JPML statistics, fall 2026) |
| Listed injuries | Six, including ulcerative colitis |
Is the PFAS ulcerative colitis lawsuit a class action?
No, injury claims proceed as individual cases inside an MDL, not as a single class action.
Think of an MDL as a shared school bus. Everyone rides to the same stop, but each rider keeps their own ticket. The judge handles shared pretrial work, and each plaintiff’s claim stays separate.
Water-system deals worked differently. They ran through class settlements for public water providers.
| Feature | Injury claims (MDL) | Water-system deals |
|---|---|---|
| Who sues | Individual plaintiffs | Public water systems |
| Structure | Separate cases, shared pretrial rulings | Class settlements |
| Payment status | None reported | Approved and paying |
One court order, CMO 38 (June 3, 2026), requires one action per personal injury plaintiff. That keeps each person’s case distinct.
Does PFAS really cause ulcerative colitis?
A 2012 expert panel found a probable link between PFOA and ulcerative colitis. That’s the strongest evidence behind these claims, but it isn’t proof for any one person.
The C8 Science Panel was three epidemiologists created by a 2005 West Virginia class settlement with DuPont. It drew on the C8 Health Project, which had 69,030 participants. Its July 30, 2012 report found no probable link to rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, or multiple sclerosis.
“Probable link” has a narrow legal meaning. It means a connection is more likely than not among that community’s class members.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified PFOA as carcinogenic in 2023. That finding concerns cancer, not colitis.
No jury has yet decided whether PFAS caused a specific person’s colitis. No ulcerative colitis bellwether trial has happened.
Key Takeaway: The PFAS ulcerative colitis lawsuit is real and active, but it’s an individual-injury MDL with no trial, no verdict, and no payout yet.
How much is the ulcerative colitis lawsuit settlement worth?
Not yet determined. No personal injury settlement fund exists for ulcerative colitis in the AFFF MDL.
The reason is simple. No bellwether verdict exists, no global deal has been announced, and no administrator is counting claims. 3M’s September 2026 filing says court-ordered settlement talks continue.
Here’s the money that does exist, and who it pays:
| Deal | Amount | Who it pays |
|---|---|---|
| 3M with public water systems (2023) | $10.3 billion over 13 years | Water systems |
| DuPont, Chemours, Corteva with public water systems (2023) | $1.185 billion | Water systems |
| DuPont, Chemours, Corteva with North Carolina (September 10, 2026) | $455 million over 15 years | State and 11 local entities, not injury claims |
| DuPont and Chemours, Ohio PFOA MDL (2017) | $670.7 million | About 3,550 injury suits |
Any per-person figure you see for AFFF injuries is an estimate, not a record. Amounts depend on future rulings, your records, and any court-approved program.
Reality Check: We found no administrator accepting ulcerative colitis payout claims today. Real claims are always free, so never pay a “claim helper.” Water-system settlement money goes to utilities, not to your bank account.
Has anyone been paid for PFAS-related ulcerative colitis?
Not in the AFFF MDL: no colitis payout has been reported there. The closest precedent is a different case, and we couldn’t confirm how much of it went to colitis claims.
In February 2017, DuPont and Chemours agreed to pay $670.7 million in cash. It resolved about 3,550 personal injury suits in an Ohio federal MDL over PFOA from the Washington Works plant. Each company paid half.
Three cases had gone to trial by the end of 2016 and produced plaintiff verdicts. The settlement covered those too. It wasn’t an admission of fault, and it didn’t need court approval.
On paper, that’s about $189,000 per suit before fees and liens. That’s arithmetic, not a payout formula. Averages hide the spread between claims.
Why do some websites say PFAS injury settlements are being paid?
Some sites blur water-system settlements, which pay utilities, with injury claims, which remain unsettled.
Picture a city winning a storm-repair grant while homeowners still wait on their insurance claims. Both are real money, but they go to different people. That’s the water-system versus injury split.
One site we reviewed says injury settlements are being distributed in 2026. 3M’s own quarterly filing says talks are ongoing. A separate tracker found no global injury settlement or payment schedule on the official MDL pages as of September 14, 2026.
Watch for these mix-up signals:
- Phrases like “Phase Two” or “public water system,” which describe utility claims
- A July 31, 2026 claims deadline, which applied to water systems only
- Dollar figures with no named court order behind them
Key Takeaway: Billions have been paid to water systems, but no AFFF personal injury settlement, including for ulcerative colitis, has been reported.
Do you qualify for a PFAS ulcerative colitis lawsuit?
You may qualify if you have a colitis diagnosis and documented PFAS exposure. Whether new claims can still join the MDL isn’t confirmed (see the deadline section).
Court rules and your records decide eligibility. Exposure routes cited by litigation trackers include:
- Using AFFF as a firefighter or in military service
- Living or working near a base, airport, or industrial site that used AFFF
- Drinking from a contaminated municipal supply or private well
- Elevated PFAS levels shown in blood testing
The National Academies recommended in July 2022 that doctors offer PFAS blood testing to people with likely elevated exposure.
Use this checklist:
- Gather your ulcerative colitis diagnosis and treatment records.
- Note the date of your diagnosis.
- List every address where you lived or worked.
- Ask your water utility for PFAS test results.
- Collect proof of AFFF use, such as training or service records.
- Ask your doctor whether PFAS blood testing makes sense.
- Talk with a licensed attorney about court-required fact sheets.
- Skip anyone who charges upfront fees.
Is there a deadline to file a PFAS ulcerative colitis claim?
No global claim deadline is confirmed for new colitis claimants. One law-firm report cites a September 5, 2025 court filing deadline, and we couldn’t confirm what that means for newer claims.
Three different dates get mixed together:
| Date | What it is | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| November 20, 2026 | Group B bellwether proposals (thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis) | Parties and court, not claimants |
| July 31, 2026 | Phase Two water-system claims deadline (passed) | Water systems only |
| Varies by state | Statute of limitations | Individual claimants |
Court compliance steps are also live. CMO 37 reviews send cure-period letters and can trigger dismissals when plaintiffs miss required fact sheets.
State limitation periods can bar a late claim. Ask a licensed attorney how yours applies.
How do you check the AFFF ulcerative colitis lawsuit status yourself?
Check three places: the MDL court page, JPML reports, and 3M’s SEC filings.
Think of it like a flight status. You trust the airline’s own board, not a friend’s text. Court and SEC documents are the board.
- Open the District of South Carolina’s MDL 2873 page.
- Read the newest case management orders first.
- Look for CMO 26O and any later Group B orders.
- Check the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation’s pending-MDL report for case counts.
- Read the litigation note in 3M’s latest Form 10-Q.
- Match any website claim to a named order or filing.
3M is one of the two biggest AFFF makers. Its filings describe court events in plain terms each quarter.
Key Takeaway: If a page can’t point to a named court order or SEC filing, treat its settlement claim as unverified.
What is the latest ulcerative colitis lawsuit update in 2026?
The latest update: Group B proposals covering ulcerative colitis are due November 20, 2026.
Judge Gergel’s July 30, 2026 order, CMO 26O, set that date. It covers selecting Group B cases (thyroid disease and ulcerative colitis) and expert discovery.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 2018 | MDL 2873 created |
| December 2023 | Parties pick 25 initial bellwether plaintiffs |
| March 2024 | Court sets process; thousands of other-disease claims dismissed without prejudice |
| August 2025 | October 2025 injury trial schedule vacated |
| June 3, 2026 | CMO 38 requires one action per injury plaintiff |
| June 2026 | Special master appointed |
| September 2026 | Special master reports on dismissal motions |
| November 20, 2026 | Group B proposals due |
Court-ordered settlement talks continue with a mediator. No deal is reported.
When is the first ulcerative colitis bellwether trial?
No ulcerative colitis bellwether trial date is set, and no AFFF injury trial has been held.
A bellwether is a test case. Both sides use the results to size up the larger group. The first injury trial was set for October 2025 with kidney cancer plaintiffs, and the court vacated it in August 2025.
Plaintiff-firm trackers report that colitis cases entered a more intensive discovery stage called Tier 2. The court chose two colitis plaintiffs and one thyroid disease plaintiff, then added three more colitis plaintiffs.
A bellwether verdict wouldn’t set your payout. It would inform settlement talks. Each plaintiff’s recovery still depends on that person’s records.
One tracker reports that on July 17, 2026, Judge Gergel pressed defendants, including 3M, DuPont, BASF, and Johnson Controls, to settle injury claims before any trial.
Are PFAS injury claims being dismissed in 2026?
Yes, tens of thousands of AFFF claims are being dismissed without prejudice in 2026. How many involve ulcerative colitis isn’t confirmed.
3M’s September 2026 filing explains the sequence. The court appointed a special master in June 2026. In September, the special master recommended dismissing most claims covered by the first two sets of defendant motions, and the court largely adopted that report.
“Without prejudice” means the dismissal isn’t a ruling on the merits. Refiling may be possible, but rules and deadlines apply.
Case counts can mislead. The JPML counts lawsuits, and 3M says many suits include several plaintiffs. So claimants outnumber the 15,264 pending actions.
Key Takeaway: The 2026 story isn’t payouts, it’s paperwork: courts are vetting claims, and missing records can get a case dismissed.
Who are the defendants in the ulcerative colitis lawsuit?
The defendants are AFFF and PFAS manufacturers, including 3M, DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva. Others named in the litigation include BASF, Tyco/Chemguard, and Johnson Controls.
The suits allege these companies designed, made, and sold firefighting foam containing PFAS while knowing it was toxic and long-lasting. Those are allegations. No jury has decided them in an injury case.
| Defendant group | Verified detail |
|---|---|
| 3M | $10.3 billion water-system deal (2023); exited PFAS manufacturing by end of 2025, per its filing |
| DuPont, Chemours, Corteva | $1.185 billion water deal (2023); $455 million North Carolina deal (September 2026) |
| BASF, Tyco/Chemguard | Reported in approved water-system settlements |
| Johnson Controls | Named among defendants pressed to settle in July 2026 |
3M also divested its Dyneon PFAS subsidiary in the second quarter of 2026.
What is ulcerative colitis, and what symptoms show up in these claims?
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease of the colon and rectum.
Common symptoms are diarrhea, blood in the stool, and abdominal pain with cramping. Anyone with these symptoms should see a doctor. Claims rest on a documented diagnosis, not symptoms alone.
The C8 panel treated colitis and Crohn’s disease as distinct conditions. It found a probable link to ulcerative colitis only.
| Condition | C8 Science Panel finding (2012) |
|---|---|
| Ulcerative colitis | Probable link to PFOA |
| Crohn’s disease | No probable link |
| Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus | No probable link |
| Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis | No probable link |
That’s why the MDL lists ulcerative colitis specifically. Your diagnosis wording in medical records matters.
How were people exposed to PFAS, and what are the EPA limits?
Exposure came mainly from AFFF use and contaminated drinking water.
AFFF has been used at airports, shipyards, military bases, training facilities, and refineries. Firefighters face high exposure through direct use. Communities near those sites can be exposed through groundwater.
EPA finalized national drinking water limits in April 2024:
| Compound | Enforceable limit |
|---|---|
| PFOA | 4.0 parts per trillion |
| PFOS | 4.0 parts per trillion |
On May 18, 2026, EPA proposed keeping the PFOA and PFOS limits, with an optional two extra years to 2031. It also proposed rescinding limits for PFHxS, PFNA, GenX, and the hazard index. That proposal isn’t final.
A regulatory limit doesn’t decide your claim. Courts weigh your diagnosis, exposure, and the science.
Key Takeaway: EPA’s 4 ppt limit is a regulatory number, and it doesn’t decide whether a colitis claim succeeds.
What happens next in the ulcerative colitis lawsuit?
Few dates are firm. Here’s the sequence we can verify, with “expected” where nothing is scheduled:
November 20, 2026: Group B proposals for ulcerative colitis case selection and expert discovery are due.
Expected, not yet scheduled: The court issues an order selecting Group B colitis bellwether cases.
Expected, not yet scheduled: The court sets a new injury trial date.
Ongoing: Court-ordered settlement talks continue with a mediator, and no deal is reported.
Ongoing: Claim vetting and dismissals continue under CMO 37 and CMO 38.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a PFAS ulcerative colitis lawsuit I can join?
Yes, a lawsuit exists, but whether new claimants can still join isn’t confirmed.
Ulcerative colitis claims sit in AFFF MDL No. 2873.
Ask a licensed attorney about current filing rules.
How much is a PFAS ulcerative colitis settlement worth?
Not yet determined, because no injury settlement or bellwether verdict exists.
Any dollar range online is an estimate.
What is the biggest PFAS settlement so far?
3M’s $10.3 billion deal with public water systems is the largest we found.
It was reached in 2023 and pays water systems, not individuals.
Is ulcerative colitis officially linked to PFAS?
A 2012 expert panel found a probable link between PFOA and ulcerative colitis in one community.
That finding isn’t proof for any individual.
What happens if my PFAS claim was dismissed without prejudice?
It isn’t a ruling on the merits, so refiling may be possible.
Deadlines and court rules still apply.
Ask a licensed attorney promptly.
Did the court cancel the first PFAS injury trial?
Yes, the court vacated the October 2025 trial in August 2025.
That trial was to involve kidney cancer plaintiffs.
No new injury trial date is set.
Can firefighters and veterans file?
Firefighters and military personnel are among the most exposed groups.
They may qualify with a diagnosis and documented exposure.
Amounts depend on future rulings and records.
Before you act on any PFAS payout promise, find the named court order behind it. No injury settlement has been reported, and real claims are free.
Keep your medical and water records current. The date to watch is November 20, 2026, when Group B ulcerative colitis proposals are due.
