When you drink water anywhere, you expect that the water is safe and will be acceptable for you and your family to drink. You use water in all kinds of things, from drinking and bathing to cooking. Most people would never expect that there’s something wrong with their water supply since local governments managing waste treatment and water services have to do ample testing and cleaning services on the water.
However, what this doesn’t account for is the sudden accumulation of toxic chemicals into a water supply due to a variety of incidents. Those issues that led to Camp LeJeune water contamination, for example, may not have been picked up until research years later. In the meantime, however, plenty of servicemembers and their families were drinking and using the contaminated water on a daily basis.
If you developed any strange symptoms or conditions, you need to share these with your doctor. Only your doctor can tell you more about what might be involved in your condition. Since many physicians would not expect that you’ve been exposed to dangerous water, it’s usually not the first thing they go to or check for in your diagnostic tests. They usually want to rule out other conditions first.
For this reason, some of the hidden problems associated with your cancer or other medical condition from contaminated water might seem like it came from nowhere and that you were just unlucky. But if you were stationed at or lived at Camp LeJeune during the time the water was dangerous, then you may need to share this with your doctor to see if your condition is connected.
The symptoms might start slow or you may experience what feels like a sudden decline in your overall health. No matter how it happens, you need to know what to do next and how to protect yourself. You’re not alone if you developed these conditions because of toxic chemicals in the water around Camp LeJeune. Make sure you hire an experienced lawyer who can guide you through the legal aspects of this process so that you have clarity on your rights. You should not have to suffer the consequences of water contamination, but it’s an all-too-real situation for many people who are now grown adults. You might have claims for your own medical conditions but also those of your children or others living in your house at the time. In those complex legal cases, it’s imperative to have the support of a knowledgeable attorney.