For decades, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, a massive military facility in North Carolina, was the site of widespread drinking water contamination. Individuals harmed by the toxic water include former Camp Lejeune soldiers and their families who lived or worked on the base, non-military staff, employees and neighbors in the areas surrounding the camp.
Were You Exposed to Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune?
Our Camp Lejeune litigation attorneys represent veterans, their loved ones, and civilians who suffered harm due to exposure to the contaminated water. If you believe you were affected by the military base’s polluted water supply, please contact us without delay. Our attorneys are here to help you and your family win your claim for reparations from the United States government. New legislation known as the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 makes this possible.
What is the Camp Lejeune Justice Act?
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is legislation that allows veterans, reservists, guardsmen, family members, non-military (civilian) workers, contractors, and any other person who lived or worked at or near the base to file claims to recover damages for harm from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
For far too long, those harmed by Camp Lejeune’s water supply were prevented from taking legal action due to a unique provision in North Carolina law. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act serves to rectify this injustice.
The new legislation is part of a larger breakthrough law called the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act—or Honoring our PACT Act—which was signed into law on August 2, 2022 by President Biden.
For a free legal consultation, call 800-562-9830
How to Start a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claim
The new law requires each claim be initiated with the appropriate Federal agency prior to being eligible to file a lawsuit in Federal Court. Your attorney can help with this complicated process and ensure you are eligible to recover appropriate damages.
To see if you qualify, or to ask questions about your case, call our legal team at (800) 562-9830 or complete and submit the Legal Consultation form on this page.
We welcome anyone who believes they or a family member were harmed by the marine base’s toxic water to call our firm for direct answers and decisive legal help. We are here to fight for your rights for the reparations you deserve.
Certain things about these Camp Lejeune lawsuits are unique from other injury claims. To be prepared for the legal challenges ahead:
As each case unfolds, awards for damages may be sought for:
- Medical Care
- Lost Wages
- Pain and Suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life, loss of companionship, and loss of earning capacity
- Disability
Punitive damages will not be awarded under the Act.
All lawsuits will be filed exclusively in the Federal Courts of the Eastern District of North Carolina. Camp Lejeune contaminated water claims can date back as far as seven decades. As one of thousands of claimants, you want to be sure you secure a place in line to pursue your claim.
Who Can Participate in the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?
The lawsuit is open to anyone who:
- Lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987, and
- Has been diagnosed with a health condition linked to the contaminated water exposure.
Eligibility to file a lawsuit includes veterans who served on the base, family members who lived on the base, civilians who worked on the base, and children who were exposed in the womb among others.
Please Note: The new law is not a VA claim. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act provides the opportunity for military and civilian victims to sue the U.S. government (not the Department of Veterans Affairs) for reparations from the toxic water contamination.
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What about Veterans Who Already Filed for Compensation with the VA?
Countless veterans harmed by the toxic exposure are still waiting and fighting for justice. While veterans may currently file claims with the VA for disability compensation for the service-connected diseases caused by the contaminated water, This new law opens a second route to recovery.
Are You a Veteran Who Is Already Receiving Benefits from the VA?
The new bill could allow you the chance to recover compensation for matters that are not covered by VA disability benefits, such as pain and suffering or loss of employment.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
The Toxic Chemicals in Camp Lejeune’s Water
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of chemicals found in many products like pesticides, herbicides, paints, paint thinners, and degreasers. In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered highly elevated levels of the following VOCs in Camp Lejeune’s water supply:
- Trichloroethylene (TCE) – a solvent used as a degreaser for metal parts
- Tetrachloroethylene, a.k.a. perchloroethylene (PCE or PERC) – used for dry cleaning and metal degreasing
- Benzene – a solvent used to make industrial chemicals, and is a component in fuel
- Vinyl chloride – industrial chemical used to produce polyvinyl (PVC) plastic
For decades, the contaminated water systems served base housing, administrative, and recreational facilities, as well as the base hospital.
What Diseases Quality for a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claim?
Cancers
- Aplastic Anemia and More Myelodysplastic Syndromes
- Appendix Cancer
- Bile Duct Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Brain Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Epilepsy
- Esophageal Cancer
- Gallbladder Cancer
- Intestinal Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver Cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Multiple Myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Renal Toxicity
- Sinus Cancer
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma
- Spinal Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Other Cancer
Other Diseases and Heath Effects
- Birth Defects
- Death
- Female Infertility
- Hepatic Steatosis (Fatty Liver Disease)
- Miscarriage
- Neurobehavioral Effects
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Renal Failure (Permanent)
- Scleroderma
How Marc Whitehead & Associates Can Help You
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act does not entitle anyone to automatic recovery. As the plaintiff, you must prove a connection between exposure to the contaminated water and the harm you suffered This is why having a skilled attorney in your corner is vitally important.
Meeting the Burden of Proof
To recover compensation under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, individuals and families must present evidence that is either:
- “Sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship exists; or
- “Sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship is at least as likely as not.”
Marc Whitehead & Associates will assume the legal concerns and responsibilities so that you do not get lost in the legal process. As your attorneys, we track down and prepare all medical records, evidence, and testimony necessary to develop your claim correctly.
We consider every aspect of your case and assess how cancer, disease, birth defect, wrongful death, or other losses from exposure to the water contaminants at Camp Lejeune have affected you and your loved ones over time. Our long term disability lawyers will help you bring suit and receive the damages you deserve for your hardships.
What Does It Cost to Hire a Lawyer?
At Marc Whitehead & Associates, our long term disability attorneys work on a contingency fee arrangement on every Camp Lejeune contaminated water lawsuit case we pursue. This means you do not pay attorney fees unless we recover money on your behalf. In this way, no matter how limited one’s budget might be, we can help. Costs are fully discussed at the outset of each case, and the initial consultation is free.
Our advocacy on behalf of veterans and families who have lived and worked on the Camp Lejeune base is long-standing.
Marc Whitehead & Associates is a national law firm in the areas of disability law, personal injury law, and veterans’ benefits. We have an in-depth understanding of the Camp Lejeune toxic water tragedy, as well as the multiple cancers and illnesses associated with these cases.
It’s true that when you retain a lawyer, you’re entering into a relationship based on trust. Our strength is helping people receive their rightful compensation for the harm they have endured and may suffer for years to come, due to the negligence of others. Call us now at (844) 976-4489 to learn how we can help.
You can access the Acts by following the links below:
Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (H.R.6482)
Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 (H.R. 3967)
Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form