Many veterans who served at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1953 and 1987 developed serious health complications after consuming water contaminated with dangerous chemicals. Among the serious complications found in the victims were neurological effects, although the initial focus was on other Camp Lejeune service-connected conditions like leukemia, aplastic anemia, kidney cancer, breast cancer, and bladder cancer.
This article takes a closer look at the neurological effects of Camp Lejeune water contamination and the ways in which you can file a Camp Lejeune water contamination class action lawsuit.
Background
Camp Lejeune is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States, covering a 246-square-mile radius. The camp, based in Jacksonville, North Carolina, was established in 1942 and has since been home to hundreds of thousands of members of the armed forces and their families. The camp used contaminated water from local wells for decades, exposing military members and their families to serious health risks.
Studies conducted by environmentalists in 1987 revealed that the water wells were contaminated with dangerous chemicals from an off-base dry cleaner–interestingly, the dry cleaner existed long before the camp was set up in the area. Because of this, many victims of the contamination blame the government for not carrying out the necessary tests to check the suitability of the water for human consumption.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuits
For many years, these veterans and their families could not file lawsuits against the federal government due to civil tort law in North Carolina prohibiting plaintiffs from filing lawsuits ten years after misconduct. In 2022, Congress and the House of Representatives passed the Camp Lejeune Act of 2022, establishing a cause of action for the victims of water contamination at Camp Lejeune.
Therefore, if you served at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 when water contamination is believed to have occurred and you later developed any of the specified health complications, you should file a lawsuit to receive the compensation you are owed–but be sure to hire a qualified and experienced Camp Lejeune water contamination attorney, like those at Strom Law, to represent you. To obtain your presumptive service connection, you must prove that you served at the camp for at least one month between 1953 and 1987.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Neurological Effects
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) acknowledges several Camp Lejeune service-connected conditions believed to have been caused by water contamination. These conditions include:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Aplastic anemia
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Adult Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurological effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
One of the main neurological effects discovered in the victims of Camp Lejeune water contamination is Parkinson’s disease. Several studies have linked this neurological disorder to toxins such as lead, mercury, and carbon disulfide, among others. Other neurological complications linked to water contamination at Camp Lejeune include lack of coordination, persistent headaches, confusion, depression, tension, sensory disorders, lack of concentration, and many other neurobehavioral effects.
Parkinson’s disease, which affects the nervous system, is difficult to detect in its initial stages because it progresses slowly, damaging your nervous system and your ability to maintain your balance when walking or standing over time. According to the VA, any veteran who served at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 and has Parkinson’s disease is eligible for presumptive service connection benefits, which means they do not have to prove the contamination caused their condition during their time at the camp.
