Camp Lejeune

The men and women serving in the United States’ armed forces are vital to the safety and wellbeing of every American. Because of this heavy burden, they deserve living and training facilities that are safe, secure, and free of toxins.

However, the thousands of service members and their families who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune from the 1950s to mid-1980s were denied that safety through the negligence of the United States Marine Corps. Though the contamination of groundwater at the camp was discovered in 1980, the Corps ignored, then actively concealed the fact for years, putting thousands of people at risk of injury, illness, and death.

On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act into law, allowing the servicemen and women injured by the military’s negligence to seek compensation for their damages. If you were harmed from contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you finally have a path to justice.

Contaminants in Camp Lejeune Water Are Linked to Cancer

For four decades, Camp Lejeune’s water supply was contaminated with chemicals that are not only known to cause harm to the human body, but have been associated with cancer, neurological disorders, and birth defects. Prolonged exposure to two chemicals in the water, TCE and PCE, has been associated with higher risks of the following cancers:

• Leukemia
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Other Conditions That Could Be Caused by Contaminated Camp Lejeune Water

The chemicals found in Camp Lejeune’s water have also linked to a number of birth defects and other chronic conditions, including:

• ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
• Brain damage
• Cardiac defects
• Epilepsy
• Hepatic steatosis
• Immune system disorders
• Infertility and miscarriage
• Parkinson’s disease
• Bone marrow disease
• Kidney failure

In addition to the above, studies conducted by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) found that pregnant women who drank the contaminated water carried a significantly higher rate of neural tube birth defects, including spina bifida. The Agency found that birth defect rates for women living at Camp Lejeune between 1968 and 1985 were nearly five times higher than normal, establishing a clear link between contaminated drinking water and life-altering defects.

How Many People Were Exposed to Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune?

The ATSDR and Department of Defense (DOD) estimate that approximately 750,000 people were exposed to the contaminated water at the base between 1953 and 1987. If you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune during this time, or even if you visited, it’s likely you drank contaminated water.

Out of the nearly 1,000,000 people who were exposed to toxins at Camp Lejeune, it’s estimated that thousands could have since developed leukemia and other cancers, and even have died as a direct result of drinking the water. In many of these cases, the victims might not even have developed cancer for years or even decades.

The Current State of Camp Lejeune Contamination Injury Law Suits

Several hundred lawsuits have already been filed against Camp Lejeune, and around 850 were consolidated into a multi-district litigation (MDL). Sadly, these lawsuits were all dismissed in 2016 based on North Carolina’s state of response law, which requires all tort lawsuits to be filed within 10 years of the event.

The dismissal of these cases created enough outrage that Congress passed the Honoring Our PACT Act earlier this year to circumvent the North Carolina statute of response and allow victims to file lawsuits in federal court. President Biden signed the legislation on August 10, 2022, opening the door for thousands of victims to receive the compensation they deserve.

Am I Eligible to File a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?

If you were exposed, even while in utero, to the contaminated waters of Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987, you could be eligible to file a lawsuit in federal court to recover your damages.

In addition, victims of water contamination at Camp Lejeune who meet all of the following requirements could be eligible for disability benefits from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA):

• Those who served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 cumulative days between August 1953 and December 1987
• Those who were not dishonorably discharged
• Those who’ve been diagnosed with one or more of the following conditions:
  • Adult leukemia
  • Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Bladder cancer
  • Kidney cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Parkinson’s disease
• Those who are either a veteran, reservist, or a guardsman with the United States Armed Forces

Recover the Compensation You Deserve for Your Camp Lejeune Injuries

If you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 and have developed cancer or another long-term condition as a result, you need an experienced toxic tort lawyer to help you get the compensation you deserve for the injuries you’ve suffered.

Rinehardt Injury Attorneys have helped the people of Columbus, Mansfield, and the rest of Ohio recover compensation for their damages in a variety of personal injury, toxic tort, and other cases. We have the experience and the passion to guide your case through the court system and help you win your case.

The Honoring Our PACT Act only allows Camp Lejeune victims to file their claims for the next two years, so now is not the time to delay. Give us a call at (419) 529-2020 for a free legal consultation.