History was made on August 10 when President Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. As part of the broader PACT Act (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics), the bill is expected to finally compensate thousands of veterans, their families, and civilian workers made ill by the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.
In the past, those harmed could only look to the VA for compensation. But unfortunately, many of those claims were denied.
Now for the first time, those affected by the toxic water are allowed to sue the federal government as part of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
Victims of the worst public drinking-water contamination in our nation’s history can finally get their day in court.
Why Were People Getting Sick at Camp Lejeune?
Camp Lejeune, located in North Carolina, is a U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp. It has been the home, training facility, and workplace to hundreds of thousands of marines, their families, and civilian employees for decades.
Founded in 1941, like many other military bases of its time, environmental concerns were not given priority, and many chemicals were disposed of carelessly. This caused the EPA in the 1970s to label Camp Lejeune as a “major polluter.”
A significantly higher than average cancer incidence among marines and their families stationed at Camp Lejeune led to a prolonged investigation of the camp’s drinking water.
Eventually, it was concluded that two of the camp’s eight wells were found to have high levels of harmful chemicals such as PCE (perchloroethylene)—a dry cleaning solvent, TCE (trichloroethylene)—a metal degreaser, benzene, and vinyl chloride.
The chemicals found in the water put those on base at risk for cancer, birth defects, Parkinson’s Disease, and other serious illnesses.
Between 1982 and 1985, several attempts were made to alert base officials of the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, but no immediate action was taken, and the wells were not shut down until February 1985
How Did Dangerous Contaminants Get Into the Drinking Water at Camp Lejeune?
Three different potential sources have been identified for the harmful and cancer-causing chemicals found in Camp Lejeune’s contaminated drinking water:
The first was an off-base dry-cleaning facility located near the camp. It is thought that they dumped chemicals unsafely, which then entered the groundwater.
The second likely source was on-base units that cleaned military equipment.
The third major source was verified fuel leaks from underground storage tanks.
Benzene, PCE, TCE, and other harmful toxicants leached through the soil, contaminating the well water at Camp Lejeune.
Can I Get VA Benefits If I Served at Camp Lejeune and I’m Sick?
If you served at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987 and have one of the 8 listed presumptive conditions, you may qualify for VA health care and compensation.
A presumptive condition means that the VA automatically assumes that your illness was caused by your service without specific proof.
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
For information on how to file a claim go HERE.
Please note: If you are already receiving medical benefits or other compensation from the VA for Camp Lejeune water, you still qualify for filing a claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
What is the Camp Lejeune Justice Act and How is it Different From a VA claim?
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows any person who lived or worked on Camp Lejeune (including in utero) for at least thirty days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and were exposed to the contaminated water sources at home, work, daycare or school to file a Camp Lejeune water claim for cancer or other serious illnesses.
The following are the presumptive diagnoses for which you can file a claim, either as a former military member or the family member of one:
- adult leukemia
- aplastic anemia
- myelodysplastic syndromes
- bladder cancer
- kidney cancer
- liver cancer
- multiple myeloma
- non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- breast cancer (male and female)
- esophageal cancer
- female infertility
- fatty liver disease
- lung cancer
- miscarriage
- neurobehavioral effects
- renal toxicity
- scleroderma
A Camp Lejeune water claim is different than a VA claim. This means a US veteran can have a VA claim AND a civil suit.
Before the Camp Lejeune Justice Act was passed, a North Carolina state law prevented those harmed by Camp Lejeune water contamination from filing a cancer claim because of the amount of time that had passed since the exposure.
Now all those exposed to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune, and their loved ones, will be able to seek justice by filing a claim in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Is this a class action lawsuit?
No. Class action lawsuits usually result in small, symbolic settlements for the victims.
Camp Lejeune cancer claims are likely to be consolidated as Multi-District Litigation (MDL), in which each claim will be handled on its own merit, and compensation will be determined based on the degree of suffering of each plaintiff.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer or another serious illness after exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you may have grounds to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit against the federal government. We can help you.
Use the blue contact section NOW to call us, live chat with us, or message us using our confidential contact form.
And if you know of a fellow veteran who can use our help, please refer them to us HERE. If they become a client, we’ll send you and your friend a wooden flag made by Veteran Flags By Vets, a non-profit group that helps veterans overcome PTSD and other disabilities.
