Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, have served as a key component in numerous industrial and consumer products for decades. These “forever chemicals,” which have been associated with environmental contamination and adverse health outcomes, have garnered steadily-growing attention from regulatory authorities, the plaintiffs bar, and, by extension, the insurance industry. Bottom-line impacts could be huge. Some have already suggested that PFAS are the “next asbestos.”

Policyholders are pursuing coverage for alleged PFAS-related exposures under several types of insurance policies, including commercial general liability, pollution liability and specialty, and first-party property policies. Given the stakes, insurers and policyholders alike should understand the basics of PFAS, the regulatory and legal landscape surrounding PFAS, and the coverage issues that PFAS implicate under these policies.

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