U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel appointed Motley Rice member David Hoyle as co-lead counsel for plaintiffs today in In re Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2873. David’s appointment came on the heels of a $7.35 billion settlement with 3M that would resolve approximately 120,000 personal injury claims against the defendant. He served as a member of the settlement’s negotiation team.Motley Rice’s co-founder Joe Rice led settlement negotiations until his passing in September 2026. As newly appointed co-lead counsel, David will help oversee the final stages of the 3M settlement for plaintiffs while continuing work on tens of thousands of pending personal injury claims against other defendants. He will also help manage the MDL’s third phase, which focuses on property damage claims from toxic PFAS chemicals alleged to come from firefighting foams.“I’m honored to take on this responsibility and continue the important work that has defined this litigation from the beginning. The people and communities affected by PFAS contamination deserve committed advocates who understand both the complexity of these cases and what is at stake. I look forward to working alongside the leadership team to continue advancing the claims of thousands of injured parties,” said Hoyle.Plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation allege PFAS in AFFF contaminated groundwater near military bases, airports and other locations where the foam was used to extinguish liquid-fuel fires, causing personal injuries, property damage and other losses.Hoyle has played a leadership role in the AFFF MDL for years working closely with Joe and Court-appointed liaison counsel Fred Thompson, and other members of Motley Rice’s AFFF litigation team. Since the beginning of this 8-year litigation, David has led the 3M Discovery Team for the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee (PEC). He has also been a member of the PEC’s Sovereign Subcommittee and Personal Injury Subcommittee, where he has focused on advancing cases involving fire fighter turnout gear.Separate from the AFFF MDL, David represents residents of Elkton, Maryland, in litigation alleging PFAS contamination from W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. manufacturing facilities. His prior PFAS litigation experience also included representing communities in western Michigan concerning PFAS-containing tannery waste which resulted in the resolution of both a property damage class action as well as numerous individual personal injury and nuisance cases. David also served as co-lead counsel in In re New Indy Emissions Litigation, C/A No. 0:21-cv-01480-SAL (D. S.C.) which resolved environmental and nuisance claims involving a pulp and paper mill in Catawba, South Carolina for $103 million* in cash and remediation.Read more about 3M’s personal injury settlement