New Jersey has some of the most extensively documented PFAS contamination in the United States, with military bases, industrial plants, and municipal water systems all linked to decades of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure. If you live near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, the former Chemours/Solvay plant in West Deptford, or one of dozens of other identified NJ contamination sites - and you have been diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, or another PFAS-linked condition - you may have a viable personal injury claim.
New Jersey's personal injury statute of limitations is two years under NJSA 2A:14-2. Because PFAS exposure typically causes latent illness, the discovery rule often starts that clock from when you could reasonably have connected your diagnosis to your exposure history - not from the date of exposure itself. An attorney in your state can evaluate your specific timeline.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Last updated: May 2026. MDL 2873 status current as of this date.
New Jersey's 2-Year Filing Window and the Discovery Rule
New Jersey's personal injury statute of limitations is two years, set by NJSA 2A:14-2. For most PFAS cases, however, that clock does not start on the date of exposure - it starts when a reasonable person in your position could have connected their illness to their PFAS exposure history.
This is the discovery rule, and it matters enormously in PFAS cases. PFAS compounds accumulate in the body silently over years. Conditions like kidney cancer and ulcerative colitis can take years or even decades to develop after initial exposure. If you consumed PFAS-contaminated water at a New Jersey military installation in the 1990s and received a kidney cancer diagnosis in 2023, your two-year window likely begins near that diagnosis date - not the point of original exposure.
Several complicating factors affect how NJ courts apply this rule:
- ·Wrongful death claims in New Jersey fall under NJSA 2A:31-3 with their own two-year window, running from the date of death rather than diagnosis.
- ·Minor plaintiffs may have their filing deadline tolled until age 18 under NJ tolling rules.
- ·Claims against government entities - for example, if your exposure came from a state-operated facility - may require notice under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (NJSA 59:1-1 et seq.) within 90 days of the discovery of injury.
Missing the statute of limitations in New Jersey is typically fatal to a claim. None of this is legal advice, and your specific window depends on facts an attorney admitted in New Jersey must evaluate.
Documented PFAS Contamination Sites in New Jersey
New Jersey has more documented PFAS contamination sites per capita than nearly any other state, a consequence of its dense military and industrial history combined with some of the most rigorous state-level PFAS monitoring in the country. Public records from NJ DEP, the U.S. EPA, and the Department of Defense identify several major categories:
Military installations: Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL), spanning Burlington, Monmouth, and Ocean counties, is among the most extensively documented AFFF contamination sites in the country. Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), used for decades in firefighting training at military airfields, contains PFOS and PFOA - the two PFAS compounds most studied in litigation. DoD environmental records document groundwater PFAS contamination at JBMDL above health advisory levels. Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, now absorbed into JBMDL, carries its own contamination history traceable through federal environmental records.
Industrial sources: The former Solvay Solexis (later Chemours) facility in West Deptford, Gloucester County, is associated with releases of fluoropolymer-related PFAS compounds. NJ DEP monitoring data, available in public records, documents the history of these releases and their effects on local water sources and the Delaware River watershed.
Municipal water systems: New Jersey set maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) of 14 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA and 13 ppt for PFOS - tighter than the EPA's 4 ppt federal standard announced in 2024. Dozens of New Jersey public water systems have detected PFAS above historical advisory levels; NJ DEP maintains a publicly searchable database of PFAS detections by water system.
The public records cited here for exposure sites are not case-specific guidance. Whether a particular contamination source caused your personal exposure - and at what concentration - requires expert evaluation. Proximity to a documented site does not automatically establish a legal claim.
Who Qualifies for a PFAS Lawsuit in New Jersey
Personal injury PFAS litigation focuses on documented or demonstrable exposure combined with specific diagnosed medical conditions. Not everyone with PFAS exposure has a viable claim, and not every medical condition is currently pursued in this litigation.
The exposure component: You need a history of PFAS exposure that can be documented or demonstrated. For military personnel, this typically means service records showing assignment to a PFAS-contaminated NJ installation. For civilians, it may come from drinking water test results showing elevated PFAS in your water supply, proximity to a documented contamination site with records of affected areas, or occupational records showing AFFF use (many civilian firefighters fall into this category). NJ DEP and DoD public records can establish contamination history at the site level, but connecting that history to your personal exposure requires attorney-guided investigation.
The medical diagnosis component: The conditions receiving the most legal attention in PFAS litigation are those for which the 2022 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report identified "sufficient evidence" of association with PFAS exposure: kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and elevated cholesterol with cardiovascular consequences. Thyroid disease, ulcerative colitis, and certain pregnancy complications (including preeclampsia) appear frequently in PFAS lawsuits and are considered "limited or suggestive" by the NASEM framework. Scientific causation questions for many conditions remain contested across jurisdictions.
Who may specifically qualify in New Jersey:
- ·Residents who received tap water from a PFAS-affected NJ public water system for extended periods
- ·Active duty military, veterans, or dependents who lived or served at JBMDL, former NAES Lakehurst, or other NJ military installations
- ·Civilian firefighters who used AFFF foam as part of their professional duties
- ·Residents who lived near documented industrial PFAS sources such as the West Deptford area
A claimant with NJ exposure and a qualifying diagnosis should consult an attorney admitted in New Jersey or one with MDL forum experience to evaluate their facts. Public records cited for exposure history are not case-specific guidance.
The NJ Spill Act: A Separate Legal Track for Property and Site Claims
New Jersey's Spill Compensation and Control Act (NJSA 58:10-23.11 et seq.) - commonly called the Spill Act - creates a distinct legal pathway for PFAS contamination claims that runs alongside, but does not replace, personal injury claims.
The Spill Act imposes strict liability on parties responsible for the discharge of hazardous substances in New Jersey. It does not require proof of negligence - only that a discharge occurred and that the party controlled the hazardous substance. NJ DEP uses the Spill Act to compel site remediation and recover cleanup costs from responsible parties. The Act also creates a private right of action for property owners who suffered diminution in value due to PFAS contamination at or migrating from a covered site.
How this affects PFAS claimants in NJ:
For claimants primarily seeking compensation for personal health injuries - cancer, organ damage, other diagnosed conditions - the personal injury route through MDL 2873 is typically the relevant path. The Spill Act is primarily focused on site remediation and property impacts.
For property owners near documented NJ contamination sites who have seen impacts on their well water or property value, the Spill Act may offer an additional avenue - but these are legally distinct claims with different defendants, different statutes of limitations, and different categories of damages.
The interaction between Spill Act claims and personal injury claims is legally complex. An attorney who handles NJ environmental and personal injury matters can advise on whether both tracks are available in your situation.
The Path to MDL 2873: How NJ Claims Enter Federal Litigation
PFAS personal injury claims from across the country have been centralized in Multidistrict Litigation 2873, In re AFFF Products Liability Litigation, in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. MDL 2873 consolidates pretrial proceedings - document discovery, expert testimony challenges, and bellwether trials - while individual cases retain their separate identities.
For a New Jersey claimant, the procedural path typically unfolds as follows:
Step 1 - File in federal district court: Your attorney files an individual complaint in the District of New Jersey or another appropriate federal district based on jurisdiction facts. The case is then transferred to the MDL in South Carolina through a Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation transfer order.
Step 2 - MDL pretrial coordination: Your case joins thousands of others for coordinated discovery. Common questions - how AFFF manufacturers knew about PFAS risks, what testing was done, what warnings were provided - are litigated once rather than repeatedly. This phase is ongoing.
Step 3 - Resolution options: Cases may settle through individual or group negotiated agreements with defendants, or they may be remanded to their home district for trial if no settlement is reached.
Clarifying the 2023-2024 settlements: Major PFAS settlements were announced in 2023 and 2024, including 3M's $10.3 billion agreement and a DuPont/Chemours/Corteva agreement of approximately $1.185 billion. These settlements were reached with public water utilities - municipalities and water authorities - to address remediation costs. They did not resolve personal injury claims brought by individuals. Personal injury litigation in MDL 2873 continues on a separate track from the water utility settlements.
You do not need to hire an attorney physically located in South Carolina. New Jersey attorneys can handle your case in the MDL, often working with or associating with MDL-experienced counsel.
How last10legal Connects New Jersey PFAS Claimants with Attorneys
last10legal is a matching service, not a law firm. If you have a PFAS exposure history in New Jersey and a qualifying medical diagnosis, our intake process connects you with a licensed attorney at no upfront cost. You speak to an attorney before any commitment, and you decide whether to proceed.
The intake captures the basics of your exposure history, your diagnosis, and your New Jersey connection so we can route you to attorneys with PFAS MDL experience. Attorneys in our network handle personal injury cases on contingency - meaning attorney fees are paid only if compensation is recovered for you.
To connect with an attorney, visit last10legal.com/intake/injury?vertical=mass-tort&tort=pfas&state=NJ. There is no fee to connect and no obligation to hire.