International law firm DAC Beachcroft, known for its work across insurance, health, real estate and commercial risk, reports that 2026 is likely to bring significant developments in both PFAS-related claims and regulatory timetables.
DAC Beachcroft notes that as PFAS controls tighten across the United States, European Union and the UK, a further surge in environmental and personal injury claims is expected.
Although technical progress has been made in methods capable of breaking down PFAS compounds, the processes remain costly, and these expenses may ultimately fall on producers linked to contamination as well as their insurers.
DAC Beachcroft highlights that in the United States, settlements nearing US$11 billion have already been agreed to resolve one manufacturer’s liability for contamination of drinking water and specific environmental claims. The firm adds that, despite the recent delay to the first bellwether trial in the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam multidistrict proceedings, more injury-based actions are anticipated in the US and in other jurisdictions.
According to DAC Beachcroft, momentum is also building in Europe. In France, campaign groups are preparing a claim on behalf of residents said to have suffered harm linked to PFAS from chemical and petrochemical activity in the Rhône valley. In the UK, two major claimant firms have begun looking into potential environmental and personal injury claims tied to suspected PFAS contamination in North Yorkshire.
DAC Beachcroft also expects the regulatory landscape to become more demanding, although key deadlines may shift. In the US tougher drinking-water thresholds, sector-specific rules and wider reporting duties are likely to shape the year ahead, but the firm points out that states continue to introduce their own measures in the absence of firm federal direction.
Across the EU, Member States approved a proposal in April 2025 to prohibit all PFAS in firefighting foams, subject to staged implementation and industry-specific allowances, though exact compliance dates remain unsettled. DAC Beachcroft further anticipates that the US Environmental Protection Agency will confirm an extension of the deadline for meeting the PFOA and PFOS Maximum Contaminant Levels in drinking water from 2029 to 2031.
In addition, DAC Beachcroft reports that the broad PFAS restriction proposed under REACH will now take longer to finalise, with the European Chemicals Agency’s scientific review pushed to the end of 2026. Across all these developments, DAC Beachcroft’s assessment suggests a year ahead marked by more litigation, heavier regulatory demands and growing attention on chemical manufacturers and supply chains.
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