Have you felt your brain cancer diagnosis was more than bad luck? Medical evidence now links contaminated water at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base and Air Station in North Carolina with brain cancer. If you served or lived at Camp Lejeune, you may be able to obtain VA benefits and/or a lawsuit settlement to help cover the cost of your treatment and disability.
Contact Marc Whitehead & Associates to prepare your brain cancer lawsuit.
Brain Cancer at Camp Lejeune Caused by Contaminated Water
Water contamination at the 156,000-acre military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina, dates back to the 1950s. Records show a standard practice of disposing of industrial wastewater and oil in storm drains. Further, an off-base dry-cleaning business dumped wastewater containing tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene (TCE) that made its way into the water supply.
The issue was discovered in October 1980 when military chemists found synthetic organic solvents in the base residential areas. The Tarawa Terrace plant was contaminated with PCE, while the Hadnot Point plant was contaminated with benzene, perchloroethylene (PCE), TCE degradation products, and vinyl chloride.
Despite known problems, the contaminated wells were not closed down until 1984 and 1985. Thousands of marines and their family members may have been injured due to these decades of negligence. Now many are pursuing a Camp Lejeune contaminated water lawsuit settlement.
Was Brain Cancer Caused by Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune?
In short, yes: there IS evidence that brain cancer could be caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
Brain cancer—an overgrowth of cells in the brain that form tumors—is caused by changes to the cellular DNA, though the exact mechanisms remain mysterious. While certain types of cancer can be inherited, it is generally believed that most cancers are caused by environmental factors that cause oncogenes (controlling cell growth and division) to turn on and tumor suppressor genes (which control cell death, repair, and division) to turn off.
The Environmental Protection Agency classifies vinyl chloride and TCE as “carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure,” and PCE as “likely carcinogenic to humans.” Increased incidence of two brain cancer types—oligodendroglioma and glioblastoma—have been found in people exposed to toxic water.
A number of investigations confirm these suspicious, including:
- The Board of Veteran Appeals
- The ATSDR Mortality Study
- A 2003 Danish study on brain cancer and contaminated water
- A 2009 National Research Council report
- 2013 International Agency for Research on Cancer
- 2017 research published in the Annals of Global Health
Brain cancer takes a tremendous toll on the individual, with adverse side effects such as debilitating headaches, lost sense of smell and taste, muscle weakness, fatigue, gastrointestinal effects, blurred vision, difficulty speaking or walking, dizziness, memory loss, mood changes, and more.
While a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit can’t undo the harm that’s been done, at least the compensation can provide you with the best possible care, take care of your family’s living expenses, and hold the government accountable for turning a blind eye to the warning signs of contamination.
Can I File a Brain Cancer Lawsuit Against Camp Lejeune?
Victims of water contamination at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987 are now able to file direct claims against the federal government under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which passed the Senate on August 2, 2022. To give yourself the best chance at a successful claim, contact veteran disability attorneys with experience representing national lawsuits in federal court.
Even if you are already receiving VA benefits for Camp Lejeune brain cancer, you may pursue a separate action through the courts to increase the amount of money available to you and your family. Filing a Camp Lejeune lawsuit in no way alters or reduces the amount of VA benefits you receive.
There Are Several Criteria You Must Meet to File a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit:
- You’re active duty, veteran, reservist, guardsman, or military family.
- You have utility bills, military orders, base records, or tax forms proving you lived at Camp Lejeune.
- You lived at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987.
- You must have medical records showing a recent brain cancer diagnosis from a physician.
For more information, contact Camp Lejeune lawsuit lawyers at Marc Whitehead & Associates.
