You might have heard the name “Camp Lejeune” in the news lately, but what is Camp Lejeune? Why is it suddenly appearing in the news lately? Unfortunately, that is a difficult question to answer without diving deep into what went wrong in the 1950s.
Below is everything you need to know about the Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit. You can also click here for more info and more details than the summarized paragraphs below.
Where is Camp Lejeune?
Camp Lejeune is a training base located in the heart of North Carolina. It is a training base used by the Marines of the U.S. Marine Corps since the early 1950s. This camp is also an area for female marines to train.
Sadly, Camp Lejeune is also home to many houses and businesses, some of which are civilians, meaning they do not work in the military.
Who Was Affected By Contaminated Water?
From around 1953 to 1987, an estimated one million people were exposed to contaminated water that flowed through the base at Camp Lejeune. Two wells were found to contain toxic levels of chemical solvents, including:
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Perchloroethylene (PCE)
- Benzene
- Vinyl chloride
- Other compounds
To date, around 5,000 people have filed claims against Camp Lejeune and for VA disability benefits. These people experienced effects from the above-listed compounds, including issues such as cancers and infertility.
Toxic water affected men, women, adults, and children living on the base of Camp Lejeune. Virtually anyone who drank from the water supply when it was contaminated between 1953 and 1987 needs to get help with a future lawsuit against the base.
Where Can People Get Help?
If you or someone you know was exposed to contaminated water in Camp Lejeune, it’s important to get help and file a lawsuit as soon as possible. The best way to get help will be to speak to a legal representative, who can help file a VA disability claim and get you the compensation you deserve.
New changes in the PACT act now allow civilian personnel, reservists, and National Guard personnel to file for disability benefits, once only reserved for active duty personnel.
People need to prove they lived or were exposed to the water on base Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987. They must also prove that being exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune led to having one of a wide range of diseases, including:
- 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
Once someone proves they were a victim of the toxic water at Camp Lejeune, they can then file for VA disability or even file a civil lawsuit. A civil lawsuit will allow people to earn settlement money for damages such as emotional damage and suffering.
How Much Can People Earn?
How much settlement money people will receive is up the air. However, a good lawyer can help provide a much stronger case that warrants more funds, and that can help people find the justice they need for water contamination in Camp Lejeune.
