Camp Lejeune is a US Marine Corps base in North Carolina. Its drinking water was contaminated for over 30 years, from 1953 to 1987. The water had dangerous chemicals. These chemicals are linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, birth defects, and more. Over one million Marines, Marine families, and civilian workers at Camp Lejeune were exposed to toxic water. If you are one of those affected, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit and receive compensation.
Now, people affected by the water contamination can seek monetary compensation. Those who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between 1953 and 1987 may be eligible to file a claim. Additionally, the decedents of the impacted person may qualify for a claim if the affected person is deceased. Call us at (803) 350-9230 for a free consultation.
Camp Lejeune Lawsuit: Background
In 1942, authorities established Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune to train Marines for World War II beach landings. Unfortunately, the Navy engineers who designed the base sourced water from a shallow aquifer. Military activities soon polluted this aquifer.
Contamination began with benzene from fuel, dry cleaning chemicals, and others like Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Tetrachloroethylene (PERC). Further pollution came from Vinyl Chloride, lead, acid from batteries, and decades of military waste dumping. Navy officials claim they detected this contamination only in 1985 and then shut down the poisoned wells. In 1989, Camp Lejeune became a federally designated hazardous waste site, triggering a health threat investigation by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention branch.
Various studies found that Camp Lejeune had some of the country’s most contaminated, toxic water. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released a report. It revealed extensive contamination over decades at Camp Lejeune. The report showed that Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) had seeped into the water treatment plants supplying the base and its residents. For decades, residents and workers at Camp Lejeune used this contaminated water for drinking, bathing, cooking, and other uses. Some chemicals in the water measured at 3,400 times the regulated safety standards.
In the summer of 2022, the U.S. Congress passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act as part of a broader bill. This bill aims to provide health coverage to millions affected by smoke from “burn pits” during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act allows Marines, family members, and civilian contractors harmed by the toxic water to pursue compensation. They can file administrative claims and lawsuits. The 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act aims to cover all compensatory damages. These include permanent injury, emotional losses, loss of consortium, disability, and wrongful death.
Who may file a Camp LeJeune claim to receive Benefits?
Marines, sailors, their families, and civilian employees stationed at Camp Lejeune for 30 days between 1953 and 1987 can file a Camp Lejeune Claim.
If you served at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina or were there as a family member or civilian employee, you may have had contact with contaminants in the drinking water there. Scientific and medical evidence has shown an association between exposure to these contaminants from the water at Camp Lejeune and the development of certain diseases later on.
Recognized Injuries from Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune
Contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune has had several dangerous and deadly health effects. Leaking into the water supply that served the base and its residents, these chemicals were the direct cause of countless life-altering medical conditions and deaths.
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Parkinson’s disease
There may also be other less-common diseases and medical conditions linked to toxic exposure from the tainted water supply at Camp Lejeune during this same timeframe, including leukemia, lung cancer, hepatic steatosis, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, miscarriage, neurobehavioral effects, renal toxicity, and scleroderma.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs has recognized that exposure to the contaminated water affects not only service men and women but also their family members, contractors, and civilian employees and personnel who were similarly stationed at the military base. Studies performed by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (“ATSDR”) have created models to ascertain the full reach of water contamination based on available data.
Contact a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawyer
Overall, the toxic water contamination at Camp Lejeune serves as a reminder of the importance of proper waste disposal and the potential consequences of neglecting this responsibility. We must take steps to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The Goings Law Firm, LLC is a sophisticated ally to anyone who spent at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune during the period of toxic exposure. We encourage innocent victims whose health was impacted due to toxic drinking water at Camp Lejeune to contact us for a confidential conversation about their health problems and legal options. To determine if you are eligible for filing a claim, please call the Camp Lejeune attorneys of the Goings Law Firm, LLC at (803) 350-9230 to speak with an attorney.
