Those who put their personal security and well-being at risk to defend our nation should also be safeguarded. Sadly, it does not always happen. Between August 1953 and December 1987, if you spent at least 30 days continuously serving at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, you may have been exposed to polluted water and suffered a life-altering sickness as a result. It is assumed that whatever ailment you have if you fought during this time was brought on by the exposure, and you are thus eligible for VA disability payments and legal recourse.
A Camp Lejeune Lawsuit can be filed by you if you think this might be you with the aid of a mass tort lawyer. We will educate you about the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base mass tort case in this post.
Background and History of Camp Lejeune
The EPA inquiry into Camp Lejeune water in the 1980s resulted in thousands of Marine Corps, North Carolina, and federal records that tell the tale of what some experts refer to as the biggest public drinking-water pollution in American history.
Changes at Marine Corps Base Marines started showing up on the facility in the latter part of 1941 when Camp Lejeune was opened. Women started training there in 1943, and African American troops trained there as well. Around 42,000 military troops could be accommodated here once development is complete. The U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, 2nd Marine Division, 22nd Expeditionary Unit, and others are among the groups that call the facility home today.
The almost 250 square mile complex has housed thousands of military personnel and their families while also acting as a base of operations for the Marine Corps, a military operations and training center for other branches of the armed services, and a military training facility.
Environmental monitoring in the 1980s indicated that the drinking water supply at Camp Lejeune was seriously polluted. According to estimates, hazardous exposure at Camp Lejeune has harmed more than a million individuals, leading to cancer diagnoses and other catastrophic medical conditions. Contractors, veterans, and their families, including small children and unborn children, are among the victims today.
What Diseases and Illnesses Are Related to the Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune?
Several major health issues have been connected to the harmful substances that poisoned the water at Camp Lejeune. These harmful substances are linked to several cancers, including:
- Kidney cancer
- Nodular lymphoma (a cancer of the lymphatic system)
- liver cancer
- Urethral cancer
- plasma cell cancer is known as multiple myeloma
- Leukemia (cancer of the blood)
- brain tumor
- Lung cancer
- Thyrotoxic cancer
- stomach cancer
Cancer is a big worry among persons who were exposed to harmful substances in the water at Camp Lejeune, but it is not the only condition that has been connected to the toxic substances found there. Additional possible health hazards connected to Camp Lejeune’s long-standing problems with water pollution include:
- Parkinson’s condition
- Nephrotoxicity (damage to the kidneys)
- Scleroderma
- Anemia aplastic (a condition where the bone marrow stops producing enough blood cells)
- The irregularities in the body’s blood cell synthesis are known as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
- liver steatosis (fatty liver syndrome)
- cardiac issues
- Neuropsychiatric conditions
The contaminated water at Camp Lejeune has also been linked to miscarriages and concerns with fertility. High incidence of childhood cancer and a wide variety of birth abnormalities have been linked to in utero exposure to polluted water. Unfortunately, the harmful consequences of the toxins discovered in the water at Camp Lejeune caused many small children to pass away.
Compensation for Water Contamination-Related Illnesses at Camp Lejeune
It is crucial to mention all the losses you and/or your family members have endured as a result of being exposed to polluted water at Camp Lejeune. You could be eligible for damages for:
- Medical costs
- lost income
- loss of ability to earn
- Amounts paid out of pocket
- pain and suffering
- emotional angst
- Disability
- loss of companionship and social interaction
It’s crucial to remember that anyone who has previously earned health and disability benefits for conditions brought on by exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune may have their final compensation decreased depending on past payments or awards made for toxic water disability.
What is the deadline for submitting my Camp Lejeune claim?
No matter how long ago exposure occurred, anybody who spent at least 30 days living or working at Camp Lejeune Marine Base between 1953 and 1987 is eligible to submit a new Camp Lejeune claim.
However, statutes of limitations impose tight time limits on how long people have to file a lawsuit. By state and context, these laws change. Additionally, a deadline for Camp Lejeune victims to file compensation claims will probably be established. Due to these reasons, you must submit your Camp Lejeune water claim on time. Your ability to file a lawsuit will be permanently blocked if you don’t file within the allotted window of time.
The best method to make sure you fulfill all the deadlines is to get in touch with a professional Camp Lejeune water pollution attorney.
August 2022 Development
President Joe Biden of the United States made history on August 10, 2022, when he officially signed the PACT Act into law. The new law increases access to government health care for veterans suffering from conditions brought on by pollutants they breathed or consumed while serving.
Importantly, this includes veterans who, from the enactment of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, were exposed to tainted water at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
Call A Reputable Attorney
You’ve come to the correct site if you or a loved one had health problems as a result of drinking Camp Lejeune’s tainted water. Similar to this, if you are an attorney presently working with a client who wants to pursue their claim further and go to trial or if your client has chosen to reject a class action settlement, your search has ended. Warren & Migliaccio has a network of fantastic attorneys that we can connect you too so your case is handled with the quality of representation it deserves.