The deadlines looming before December are November 13 for AFFF personal-injury client identification in MDL 2873, November 23 for objections to four PFAS water settlements, and December 22 for exclusion requests in those settlements. There is no single national mass-tort deadline because each state sets its own limitations period for injury and product claims.
A mass tort groups many individual injury lawsuits over the same product or exposure. A statute of limitations is the legal deadline to file suit. The LawsuitProcess Editorial Team reports that a late mass-tort claim is usually barred entirely.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from Uscourts — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the official guidance from Texas — Use this primary source to verify the official guidance.
Table of Contents
- Why is there no single filing deadline?
- What AFFF injury cutoff hits in mid-November?
- What must water systems decide by December 22?
- How does timing work for latent disease?
Why is there no single filing deadline?
State law controls most personal-injury deadlines. The Texas Legislature requires injury and injury-causing-death suits within two years after accrual in the Texas limitations statute. Other states use different windows.
Federal coordination does not override that rule. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation says MDL transfer centralizes related federal cases only for coordinated pretrial work. The LawsuitProcess Editorial Team reports that filing in the federal paraquat MDL in Illinois does not create a uniform deadline.
What AFFF injury cutoff hits in mid-November?
On November 3, 2026, 3M Company announced a broad AFFF personal-injury resolution with a $7.35 billion nominal commitment over nine years, valued at $5.8 billion present value, in the 3M resolution announcement. The deal targets PFAS injury claims in MDL 2873. In that MDL before Judge Richard M.
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Gergel, counsel must identify eligible personal-injury clients by November 13, 2026, according to AboutLawsuits.com in the November AFFF order summary. Generally, unfiled eligible claims must be brought within 10 days after that date. Claimants should confirm with counsel whether their injury qualifies and whether their case is already filed.
What must water systems decide by December 22?
Four proposed PFAS drinking-water settlements involve Carrier, Archroma, Amerex and Nation Ford and total over $149 million. According to the Simpluris court-appointed notice in the PFAS water settlement notice, objections are due November 23, 2026 and exclusion requests are due December 22, 2026.
Doing nothing keeps a public water system in the settlement classes. That choice binds the system to the releases. Only systems that exclude themselves by December 22 keep separate claims, with a final hearing set for January 15, 2027.
How does timing work for latent disease?
For latent disease such as Parkinson's after paraquat exposure, the discovery rule can delay accrual until the injury or its cause is discovered. The LawsuitProcess Editorial Team reports that wrongful-death claims often run on a separate deadline.
Exposure date alone may not start the clock. Because timing can decide eligibility regardless of merits, confirm the deadline early: Check the applicable state window now rather than waiting for MDL developments.
- Identify the state law that governs the individual claim.
- Pin down discovery date, diagnosis date, and any wrongful-death trigger.
- Ask counsel whether tolling, filing, or settlement-registration rules change the effective cutoff.
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