Published on February 24th, 2024

Almost 43,720 individuals today get diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer annually nationwide.

This ailment is more prevalent in women compared to men. A few reasons that lead to this chronic ailment are radiation exposure, reduced iodine count, and genetics.

The other reason for people to develop Thyroid Cancer is AFFF exposure.

Typically, firefighting foam carries as much as 98% of PFAS, a cluster of chemicals that contains very poisonous substances that can lead to this and other health issues.

This chemical itself increases the risk of firefighters suffering from thyroid cancer by 56%.

In this article, we will delve into the connection between AFFF and thyroid cancer, its symptoms, and guidelines for opting for legal compensation.

Firefighting Foam And Thyroid Cancer: The Connection And Symptoms

PFAS are also called ‘forever chemicals’ and can interfere with your thyroid function. Since it is an endocrine disruptor, it can affect your body by replicating fatty acids.

The chemical also affects the hormonal balance, which makes military and civilian firefighters vulnerable to this ailment.

If any firefighter comes in contact with this deadly foam for a long time, they can develop thyroid cancer.

Additionally, PFOA, which is yet another chemical cluster, can inhibit the iodine accumulation by our thyroid follicular cells, which increases the chance of thyroid cancer.

A few of the symptoms to be aware of include:

• Development of a lump on your neck skin
• Not being able to swallow as usual
• Changes in the voice
• Swollen lymph nodes located on your neck

The laboratory studies highlight that PFAS resulted in hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the thyroid follicular cells present in rats.

It also has a strong link to reduced free and total thyroxine concentrations. When you notice such changes in your thyroid gland, the chances of cancer are higher.

Military firefighters who have been exposed to AFFF at their job site and have developed thyroid cancer should seek financial compensation by filing a firefighting foam cancer lawsuit.

Seeking Legal Compensation: The Essential Tips To Follow

The common types of cancer that the lawsuits speak about include pancreatic, kidney, testicular, and prostate cancer.

A few other types include leukemia, lymphoma, mesothelioma, and multiple neuroendocrine disorders.

The pain and suffering that firefighters undergo when diagnosed with cancer stemming from AFFF exposure is insurmountable.

Even though no amount of money can compensate for the loss they undergo, having some cash at hand helps to address medical expenses and other damages.

A few guidelines to ensure you get the compensation you deserve are:

Speak With A Lawyer

Navigating the legal path alone is not only challenging, but also tricky.

Without a lawyer, you might come across people who pretend to act as a middleman between you and the court, which might go against your favor.

In certain cases, such people have proven to be corrupt individuals who make money and leave.

TorHoerman Law suggests that victims of AFFF exposure should essentially get in touch with a lawyer and share every detail of their case.

It will equip the lawyer with the salient points that they will highlight in court to ensure that their clients get the necessary payment to cover their economic and non-economic damages.

Keep Medical Data Handy

You only qualify to get legal compensation when you can prove successfully that AFFF foam is the root cause of your thyroid cancer.

For that, you need to keep your medical data with you and establish the link between thyroid cancer and the place from which you suspect AFFF exposure.

Provide a timeline of your suffering and the physical discomforts that you have been undergoing that prove your point and qualify you for the compensatory amount.

Don’t Use False Documents Or Narrative

Often, people affected by AFFF exposure think that greater the suffering, greater the compensation.

It is far from the truth. The payout varies based on the severity of damage, the stage of thyroid cancer one is in, and the possibility of recovery.

Hence, it makes people feel that they need to add more suffering to their existing AFFF exposure issue to access the amount.

Adding false documents or narratives will aggravate the matter because they will appear to be unreal.

That aside, it can cancel out the existing amount that you were receiving as well.

Therefore, it is always necessary to stick to the truth and state what exactly happened to your lawyer for them to do what is needed.

In conclusion, people suffering from thyroid cancer because of AFFF exposure need to get the correct documents and file a legal complaint.

It will help them recover the damages they have undergone and pay for their medical bills and other expenses. The guidelines mentioned above are simple yet assured ways to get your compensation.

Feature Image Source: Giammarco Boscaro

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