For decades, government officials were aware of toxic water contamination at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, but those in power ignored the issue and denied victims their right to seek justice.
Between August 1953 and December 1987, service members and their families stationed at Camp Lejeune consumed and bathed in water that contained high levels of toxic chemicals. Many of these individuals have gone on to experience severe health issues as a consequence of the exposure.
If you served, lived, or worked at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987 and/or had a claim for disability denied by Veterans Affairs, you may be entitled to compensation.
Find out now if you are owed a payout for Camp Lejeune water contamination and whether you can recover a potential settlement.
Update:
The U.S. Navy recently announced that it will offer a preset payment option to Camp Lejeune claimants, as it seeks to speed up the processing of more than 93,000 claims. The voluntary elective option would pay victims between $100,000 and $450,000, depending on their illnesses and the amount of time they spent at Camp Lejeune. Choosing to accept the elective option will have no impact on an individual’s VA benefits. For more information, contact Morgan & Morgan to learn about your options for free.
About the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is aimed at improving disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxins.This bill allows injured Marines and their families to finally be able to seek justice for exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
During that time period, veterans, their spouses, their children, and even workers living off-base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, were unknowingly exposed to toxic chemicals that have been scientifically linked to serious health concerns.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act finally recognizes that military families consumed contaminated drinking water for decades at Camp Lejeune. Runoff from storage tanks, treatment plants, and a nearby dry cleaner put trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride into the camp’s water supply. All of these harmful chemicals are classified by federal agencies as causes of cancers and other deadly diseases.
Veterans and their families began filing suits against the U.S. government in 2005, alleging harm from exposure to contaminated drinking water. In 2016, all claims were dismissed. The court determined that such claims were barred by both federal and North Carolina law. Under the Feres doctrine, service members may not sue the U.S. government for injuries incurred “incident to military service.” Under the North Carolina statute of repose, a plaintiff is barred from bringing a suit more than 10 years after the contamination occurs.
Symptoms and Medical Conditions Caused by Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
Camp Lejeune water contamination has been linked to the serious health issues of veterans and their families, including:
- Aplastic Anemia
- Birth defects
- Bladder Cancer
- Brain Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Cardiac Defect
- Cervical cancer
- Choanal atresia (nasal passages blocked with bone or tissue)
- Dental issues
- End-Stage Renal Disease
- Epilepsy
- Esophageal Cancer
- Eye defects
- Female Infertility
- Hepatic Steatosis (Fatty Liver Disease)
- Hodgkin’s Disease
- Hypersensitivity skin disorder
- Impaired immune system function
- Intestinal Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Kidney Disease
- Larynx Cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver Cancer
- Liver cirrhosis
- Lung Cancer
- Miscarriage or fetal death
- Multiple Myeloma
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes
- Neurobehavioral Effects
- Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Parkinson's Disease
- Prostate cancer
- Renal Toxicity
- Sarcoma
- Scleroderma
- Thyroid Cancer
Who Qualifies to File a Claim for Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
To qualify for disability compensation, you must provide evidence for three things:
- A current disability;
- An in-service injury or illness; and
- A link between the in-service injury or illness and the current disability.
Under the Veterans Affairs rules regarding Camp Lejeune water contamination, veterans with certain service experience do not need to prove an in-service injury or illness the same way they would for other claims — instead, the exposure to contaminated water is presumed if the veteran:
- Received a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable from active duty, reserve, or National Guard service; and
- Served at Camp Lejeune (or MCAS New River) for a total of at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
If you are uncertain if you qualify for compensation based on the above criteria, reach out to Morgan & Morgan today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn more about your claim.