U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a military base located in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Between 1953 and 1987, more than one million military personnel and their families were stationed at the camp. During this period, individuals living on the base (civilians and military service members alike) ingested and bathed in contaminated water, being exposed to up to 3000 times the safe exposure limit of several toxic chemicals.
Water from two base water wells that supplied the housing and hospital complexes were found to be severely contaminated. The source of the contamination was primarily the waste disposal practices of a local off-base drycleaning company situated nearby, as well as a leaking fuel farm on base that suffered leaks.
If you or a family member was stationed at Camp Lejeune during this period and has suffered from serious health issues, you should consider filing a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.
What Were the Contaminants at Camp Lejeune?
The water from the wells was contaminated with perchloroethylene (PCE), a colorless liquid used in drycleaning processes. Water was also found to be severely contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile anesthetic commonly used as an industrial solvent.
Furthermore, a fuel farm on base leaked more than 800,000 gallons of benzene into the soil and water, situated very near the two wells that supplied the water for housing and the base hospital.
Later studies uncovered upwards of seventy other chemicals in the water besides the primary contaminants at Camp Lejeune. The wells were shut down in 1987, but the military did not fully acknowledge the scale of the contamination until 2009.
The Pact Act of 2022
The PACT Act of 2022, signed into law on August 8th, 2022, outlines the most recent update on Camp Lejeune benefits. The bill offers benefits to the Veterans of Camp Lejeune. Section 804 of the PACT Act provides a federal cause of action for individuals who resided, worked, or were otherwise exposed (including in utero) for no less than thirty consecutive days to water at Camp Lejeune between August 1st, 1953, and December 31st, 1987.
Therefore, if you or your family were affected by the water at Camp Lejeune, you may be entitled to file a claim to obtain compensation for injuries or illnesses suffered. Contact the legal team at Strom Law for assistance on how you can get the compensation you deserve.
What Conditions Are Eligible for VA Benefits?
For veterans (including National Guard and reservists) stationed at Camp Lejeune between August 1st, 1953, and December 31st, 1987 for a minimum of thirty consecutive days, there are eight conditions considered presumptive for compensation.
Presumptive means that the veteran need only prove that they were stationed at Camp Lejeune during the specified time frame and for a minimum of thirty days to be eligible for benefits by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The veteran does not need a current diagnosis of any condition to file a claim. The eight presumptive conditions include:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
It’s important to note that even if your specific disease isn’t listed as a recognized disease by the VA, you may still be able to obtain compensation. Be sure to contact one of our legal experts at Strom Law so we can examine your case and find the best way for you to receive your well-deserved compensation.
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