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By Karl Grossman - September 7, 2026
A Manhattan law firm, with an East End connection, is planning PFAS litigation
“We represent over 2,000 individuals from Nassau and Suffolk counties who have developed four types of cancer — liver, kidney, thyroid and testicular cancers — and also ulcerative colitis, in litigation involving PFAS,” said Jeffrey Guzman, a founding member of a law firm based on Wall Street in Manhattan, Krentsel Guzman Herbert.
Guzman knows the PFAS issue well beyond being an attorney in a law firm litigating its health impacts. He has a home in Springs in East Hampton Town in Suffolk County, a county and town where wells have been impacted by PFAS, the acronym for a group of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Thousands of water suppliers from across the United States — including the Suffolk County Water Authority — brought lawsuits against companies involved with PFAS.
Last year, there was a settlement by the 3M Company of $10.3 billion. SCWA expects to receive $170 million of this; it got an initial payment of $34 million last year.
Lesser settlements were reached with other companies, including DuPont, which developed PFAS in 1938 and patented it as Teflon.
But Guzman noted in an interview last week that this was “remediation litigation seeking money for the cost of cleaning up the PFAS that are already in the water. It did not intend to compensate any individuals who suffered as a consequence of their exposure.”
Said Guzman: “Those who have suffered health impacts from PFAS are entitled to compensation from these companies, which knew it was carcinogenic.”
On the website of Krentsel Guzman Herbert, there is a series of pages about the firm’s PFAS litigation to obtain compensation for victims. They have the title: “Long Island’s PFAS Water Crisis: Your Health’s on the Line.”
They begin: “Leonardo da Vinci said, ‘Water is the source of life.’ On Long Island, it can be the source of illness and disease. Maybe it’s your child or spouse, diagnosed with cancer or ulcerative colitis. The culprits may be exposure to toxic PFAS chemicals that have contaminated drinking water, which can also lead to in utero exposure.
“These chemicals contain a unique chemical structure that allows them to remain persistent in the environment. They were widely used in the manufacture of:
firefighting foams at local bases; nonstick pans in your kitchen; waterproof fabrics; cleaning products under your sink.”
Under “What Are Forever Chemicals, and Why Are They So Dangerous?” the pages continue: “Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are toxic chemicals tainting your tap … Long Island’s drinking water ranks among the most contaminated. A federal database shows 19 water suppliers detected PFAS. In 16 districts, levels exceeded 20 [parts per trillion], one hitting 146 ppt, over double the 70 ppt seen nationwide, per Citizens Campaign for the Environment.” (The organization is based in Farmingdale.)
“That’s your water. You’ve been drinking it for years, cooking with it, and bathing in it. Each sip and shower adds toxins to your body.”
Under “The Effects of PFAS on Your Body,” the pages continue: “These manufactured chemicals don’t break down — not in the environment, not in your body. They build up in your bloodstream over time, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns they’re linked to serious diseases. Long Island residents’ exposure is worse than most in the U.S.”
Under “Is Long Island Water Contaminated with PFAS?” the pages say, “Yes, and it isn’t good. … This didn’t happen overnight. Manufacturers like 3M and DuPont released PFAS into the environment for decades, polluting groundwater, drinking water.”
Under “Forever Chemicals, Justice for Long Island,” they say: “You’ve been through enough.” They continue that “our team has recovered over $150 million for families across NYS. Now we’re taking on Forever Chemicals for Long Island residents like you.”
Under “Am I Eligible for Compensation for PFAS-Related Cancers,” the pages state: “Yes. If you’ve lived on Long Island for years, drinking, washing and bathing in tap water, that’s exposure. Studies show PFAS increase your risk of cancer.”
As to “What Can You Claim in a PFAS Lawsuit?” the list presented: medical bills (past and future), lost wages or income, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and emotional distress.
The pages also say: “We handle PSAS cases on a contingency basis, meaning there are no upfront costs or attorney fees unless we win your case.”
In July, a lawsuit was brought by New York State Attorney General Letitia James charging corporations involved with PFAS — including 3M and DuPont — with being in violation of many state laws. Corporate documents are cited in which the companies acknowledge they knew about the threats to human health and the environment of PFAS, but they still pushed PFAS products anyway.
Meanwhile, despite action by the state and private litigation on PFAS, the Trump administration is moving in the opposite direction. The Environmental Protection Agency — under a Suffolk County resident, its administrator, Lee Zeldin of Shirley — is seeking “rollbacks on regulations,” complained a letter last month from U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to Zeldin.
And the EPA just approved the licensing of “two new pesticides that contain PFAS,” reports Food & Water Action, a Washington, D.C-based organization. It issued a statement saying: “PFAS don’t readily break down in our environment and are linked to serious health concerns like cancer. They don’t belong anywhere near our food.”
It included a message to be signed and sent by people to Zeldin saying: “I demand that you rescind the approval of isocycloseram and cyclobutrifluram, deny future approvals of PFAS pesticides, and update the EPA’s definition of PFAS to fully reflect this dangerous class of chemicals.”