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To qualify for compensation under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA), you must meet a set of criteria. Those eligible to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit must have:
- Lived or worked at Camp Lejeune at some point between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987
- Had 30 or more total days of exposure to the water supply at the base
- Developed one of the many serious illnesses that have been linked to exposure to the contaminated water supply at Camp Lejeune
In addition to those who meet the above criteria, family members of eligible applicants who have since passed can also file a lawsuit. At Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward, we are ready to help you recover the compensation you deserve. Contact us today by phone or through this website to schedule a free consultation with a member of our legal team.
Steps to Recovering Compensation in a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit
Before you can file a lawsuit under the CLJA, you must first submit an administrative claim with the Judge Advocate General (JAG). JAG began accepting claims as soon as the CLJA was passed as part of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. Since the PACT act was signed on August 10, 2022, thousands of claims have been filed.
JAG was given six months to respond to these claims before claimants could begin to file lawsuits in North Carolina. Since those six months, the lawsuits have begun to roll in. If you have not filed your claim with JAG, it is essential to do so as soon as possible. Claimants have two years from the date of the signing to submit their lawsuits under the statute of limitations.
The best thing you can do to ensure that all your paperwork is filed correctly and protect your right to recover compensation is to hire an experienced attorney. Your lawyer will ensure that you are kept in the loop about all progress made in your case and will help you gather all the supporting documents you need to give yourself the best odds of getting the money you need.
What Happened in the Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Health Disaster
Camp Lejeune is the name of a Marine Corps base in Onslow County, North Carolina. While Camp Lejeune is a marine base, it also serves as a training facility for many other branches of the United State Armed Forces. For over 30 years, the water supply for the base was contaminated with a variety of harmful toxins that have been linked to many serious illnesses.
During the early 1980s, the Marine Corps began testing the water at the base because of regulations set out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These tests showed the level of toxicity for the water at the base to be drastically above the threshold for safe drinking water. However, rather than addressing the problem, officials hid the results of this and future tests.
The cover-up included suppression of several reports showing the dangerous level of toxin in the water as submitting a falsified report to the EPA in April of 1983, which claimed that no contamination issues existed at the base. Finally, under expanded EPA oversight, the Marine Corps began shutting down the contaminated water wells in the late ‘80s.
The Toxins Present in the Water Supply at Camp Lejeune
There were a variety of different contaminants found in the water supply at Camp Lejeune. Some of the most prevalent toxins included trichloroethylene, perchloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and benzene. However, many other toxins were also present in smaller amounts. Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace were the two facilities that provided the contaminated water.
At the Hadnot Point treatment plant, the primary contaminant found in the water was trichloroethylene (TCE). TCE is a liquid color with no color or odor. The safe level for TCE prevalence in drinking water is a maximum of five parts per billion (PPB). The levels found at the Hadnot Point facility were as high as 1,400 PPB (280 times the maximum limit).
Meanwhile, the main contaminant at the Tarawa Terrace water plant was perchloroethylene (PCE). PCE is a liquid that has no color and a mild odor. The maximum level of PCE for safe drinking water is also five PPB. In the Tarawa Terrace facility, PCE was recorded at levels as high as 215 PPB (43 times the maximum limit).
Illnesses Linked to the Contaminants Found in the Camp Lejeune Water Supply
Several illnesses have been linked to the toxic pollutants found in the water supply at Camp Lejeune. With these toxins recorded at such high levels at the Marine Corps base, it is no surprise that the level of these illnesses and impairments among those exposed to the water there is so high. Some of the many illnesses connected to the contamination include:
- Parkinson’s Disease
- ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Liver cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Renal cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Cardiac defects
- Multiple myeloma
- Fatty liver disease
- Hepatic steatosis
- Immune disorders
- Miscarriage
- Infertility
- Birth defects
- Brain damage
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Epilepsy
- Aplastic anemia
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Scleroderma
- Renal toxicity
Get a Free Consultation From an Experienced Attorney Today
At Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward, we understand the challenges faced by Camp Lejeune victims and their families. Fortunately, after an incredibly long wait, the opportunity to finally recover the compensation you receive is almost here. We can help you prepare your case and ensure you recover the money you need and deserve.
Reach out to us today by phone or through our online contact form to schedule a free case review with a member of our team. We will ensure that you are qualified to pursue compensation under the CLJA and answer any questions you may have.
