Did you develop kidney cancer after serving or spending time at Camp Lejeune? You may now take legal action against the United States government in a Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit. The polluted water at Camp Lejeune has been scientifically connected to many health problems. Kidney cancer is high on the list.
If you lived or worked at the Jacksonville, NC Marine Base between 1953 and 1987, you have an increased risk of developing kidney cancer. As you may know, past Camp Lejeune residents diagnosed with this cancer can now file injury claims against the United States under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, a.k.a. CLJA.
At Marc Whitehead & Associates, we help bring justice to marines, family members, and civilians who stayed on the base and are now stricken with cancer. Many have lost loved ones because they drank, bathed, or cooked with the contaminated water.
If you think you may have a Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit, please get in touch with us without delay. Our attorneys represent military and non-military individuals who spent at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune. We believe kidney cancer claimants may have strong legal claims.
We represent CLJA claimants nationally and are ready to help you now.
Kidney Cancer Linked to Toxic Water at Camp Lejeune
In the 1950s, Camp Lejeune’s drinking water was polluted by chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The contaminants came from dry cleaning solvents, degreasers, chemicals for cleaning machinery, and other sources on and nearby the Camp Lejeune campus.
Shoddy storage and waste disposal allowed over 70 dangerous chemicals to leak into the base’s water supply.
Four of the most prevalent chemicals were:
- Trichloroethylene (TCE) – a solvent used as a degreaser for metal parts
- Tetrachloroethylene, also called perchloroethylene (PCE or PERC) – a solvent used for dry cleaning and metal degreasing
- Vinyl chloride – an industrial chemical used to produce polyvinyl (PVC) plastic
- Benzene – a solvent used to make industrial chemicals and is a component in fuel
Public Health and Scientific Studies Link Camp Lejeune Water to Kidney Cancer
Studies and research have established a strong link between kidney cancer and the four chemicals prevalent in the water. A crucial part of developing a Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit is presenting the science that supports this link, including:
- A Canadian study of occupational exposure to specific chemicals found that the risk of renal cell carcinoma increased with the duration of exposure to benzene and vinyl chloride. Hu J, Mao Y, White K. 2002
- The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) assembled a conclusive Public Health Assessment (PHA) that found that exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) is strongly associated with kidney cancer. ATSDR, January 20, 2017
- ATSDR published findings that the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune is associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer and kidney disease, explicitly concerning exposures to TCE and PCE in both Marines and civilian employees. ATSDR, April 2018
- Kidney Cancer is a VA Presumptive Condition for Camp Lejeune: VA has adopted a presumptive service connection for military service members exposed to toxins in the Camp Lejeune water supply who later developed any one of 8 diseases, including kidney cancer.
Recent risk evaluations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the primary Camp Lejeune contaminants are as follows:
- Trichloroethylene (TCE) – EPA determined that TCE presents an unreasonable risk to human health. EPA assessed the impact of TCE on workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders. Health risks include kidney cancer and kidney toxicity from inhalation or dermal exposures to TCE. (EPA, January 2023)
- Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) – EPA determined that TCE presents an unreasonable risk to human health. Primary health risks include cancer from long-term exposure. EPA determined that risk to workers, occupational non-users (workers nearby but not in direct contact with this chemical), consumers, and bystanders drive the whole chemical determination of unreasonable risk. (EPA, December 2022)
- Benzene – EPA has classified benzene as a known human carcinogen for all routes of exposure. (EPA, Benzene, January 2012). Benzene has also been connected to a rare form of kidney cancer in two separate studies, one involving tank truck drivers and the other involving seamen on tanker vessels, both carrying benzene-laden chemicals. (EPA.gov)
- Vinyl Chloride – EPA has classified vinyl chloride as carcinogenic in humans when inhaled, and it is considered a human carcinogen from oral exposure. (EPA, Vinyl Chloride, March 2020)
Symptoms of Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer is also called renal cancer. It is a form of cancer that begins in the kidney. The cancer starts when healthy cells in the kidney become abnormal. The cells divide and grow out of control, forming a mass (tumor). The cancer can spread to other organs and tissues if malignant or cancerous. This is called metastasis.
Different types of kidney cancer include
- Renal cell carcinoma (RCC), which can affect one or both kidneys and is the most common type of cancer in adults
- Transitional cell cancer, which begins in the renal pelvis, ureters, or bladder
- Renal sarcoma, which accounts for only 1% of kidney cancer cases
- Wilms tumor, the most common cancer in children
Common symptoms that may help support a Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit include:
- Blood in your urine
- A lump or mass in your kidney area
- Flank pain (pain on either side of the lower back, between the pelvis and the ribs)
- Fatigue
- Lack of appetite
- Weight loss
- Low-grade fever
- Bone pain
- Hypertension
- Anemia
- High calcium
- A general sense of sickness
Who Can File Camp Lejeune Kidney Cancer Lawsuits?
You may file a claim if you lived, worked, or were stationed at Camp Lejeune at any time beginning on August 1, 1953, and ending on December 31, 1987. This includes children not yet born (in utero injuries.)
You must have had at least 30 days’ exposure to the toxic water during the relevant period. The 30 days do not need to be consecutive.
Steps to Filing a Camp Lejeune Kidney Cancer Lawsuit
You will follow the Navy’s administrative claim process to file a Camp Lejeune Justice lawsuit under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA).
First, you’ll file the administrative claim with the Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Navy’s Tort Claims Unit. You have two years from the date the CLJA was enacted (August 10, 2022) to file a claim; this makes the deadline for your Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit August 10, 2024.
After six months, if the Navy JAG has either (1) denied the claim or (2) taken no action on your claim, you may then file a Camp Lejeune cancer lawsuit in Federal Court as outlined by the CLJA.
Our legal team handles all paperwork and filings to ensure you remain eligible and are positioned to recover maximum damages. We understand you have questions about your case, and we urge you to call (800) 562-9830 to discuss your Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawsuit for the answers you need.
Compensation for a Camp Lejeune Kidney Cancer Injury Claim
An experienced Camp Lejeune kidney cancer lawyer will examine many factors to determine how much compensation you should seek, including:
- The extent and severity of the kidney cancer
- The cost of medical care (past, ongoing, and future)
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
- The extent of your pain and suffering (mental and physical)
- Loss of enjoyment of life, loss of companionship, and loss of earning capacity
- Disability
Did you lose a family member to water exposure at Camp Lejeune? If so, you may be eligible to file a Camp Lejeune wrongful death lawsuit against the government. Our attorneys can help you with these legal matters.
Contact Us about a Camp Lejeune Kidney Cancer Lawsuit
It’s been a long fight for those seeking justice for Camp Lejeune’s toxic water claims. We urge you to contact a disability lawsuit attorney at Marc Whitehead & Associates. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve.
