Camp Lejeune Water Contamination:
Are You Entitled to Compensation?
As Americans, we honor and revere our veterans. When injured while training or at war, we want to ensure they get the medical coverage they need and the support they deserve. Unfortunately, military and disability benefits don’t always fully compensate veterans and their families. This is the case with veterans facing a wide range of serious medical conditions after exposure to contaminated water at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.More than
1 million people
may have been exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and the full effects of that exposure may not be known for years or even decades.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered “volatile organic compounds” in drinking water provided by two of the eight water treatment plants providing water on the base, including perchloroethylene (PCE) or tetrachloroethylene (TCE).
The contaminants came from an off-base dry cleaning firm, leaking underground storage tanks, industrial area spills, and waste disposal sites.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the contaminants “increased the risk of cancers (kidney, multiple myeloma, leukemias, and others), adverse birth outcomes, and other adverse health effects of residents (including infants and children), civilian workers, Marines and Naval personnel at Camp Lejeune.” Unfortunately, the Feres Doctrine, a legal doctrine that prevents service members and veterans from suing the U.S. government for injuries they sustained while serving, prevented veterans from filing lawsuits over the contaminated water.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act
Now, a new law just passed by Congress may help. The legislation, commonly known as the Honoring our PACT Act, also contains the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022.To file a claim for compensation, you must meet a few criteria:
- You were lived, worked or were stationed at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987 (family members are included).
- You faced exposure to the contaminated water for at least 30 days.
- You have a diagnosis related to exposure to the contaminated water.
- You didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge when you separated from the military.
More than 40 serious medical conditions may qualify to file for compensation. The Veterans Administration is maintaining a fund to pay for health care and benefits associated with exposure. The fund will be available for
two years
.Illnesses include but are not limited to:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Infertility
- ALS
- Birth defects
You Need a Lawyer Fighting for You
If you or a loved one were exposed to Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water for at least 30 days between 1953 and 1987 and have a health condition that may be related, we can help.
You have a right to claim what you deserve.
Call us today at 888-910-6376 or contact us online. Your consultation is free, and there's never a charge until we recover compensation on your behalf.
