3M said it has entered into a broad resolution of the PFAS related personal injury claims at the centre of the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam multi-district litigation in federal court in South Carolina, committing a pre-tax 7.35 billion dollars nominal over nine years, with a present value of 5.8 billion dollars. The agreement addresses approximately 99 percent of current personal injury claims inside and outside the litigation, covering about 115,000 to 120,000 eligible plaintiffs, includes a 680 million dollar reserve fund for remaining and future claims within the overall commitment, and includes a 50 million dollar payment in 2026, no payments in 2027, and about 20 percent of payments due in the final two years.
3M will record a pre-tax charge of 5.8 billion dollars in the fourth quarter of 2026, treated as a special item and with no change to its previously issued 2026 guidance. The company said the agreement is not an admission of liability and that, if certain agreed settlement terms are not fulfilled, it is prepared to continue defending itself in litigation.