Our firm handles Camp Lejeune cancer lawsuit and settlement cases in all 50 states. If you spent time at Camp Lejeune and now struggle with thyroid cancer, please contact our law firm.
Devastating health problems at the North Carolina marine base have been linked to extremely high levels of toxic chemicals in the drinking water, causing multiple types of cancer, including thyroid cancer. Marines, family members, and civilians who lived on the base from 1953 to 1987 have suffered significant harm from exposure to or ingestion of polluted water.
If this has been your experience, we urge you to contact a Camp Lejeune cancer attorney at our firm as soon as possible. New federal legislation called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) provides past residents of the marine base with restitution from the United States government for their loss and suffering.
Our litigation attorneys can help you understand if vital financial compensation is available to you. CLJA filings regarding Camp Lejeune water contamination linked to thyroid cancer are ongoing, and now is the time to take action.
Thyroid Cancer at Camp Lejeune Caused by Contaminated Water
Thyroid cancer attacks the thyroid gland located in the front of the neck just below the “Adam’s apple.” The thyroid controls our metabolism. It’s part of the endocrine system that produces hormones regulating many bodily functions.
There are several different thyroid cancers. Various factors may influence particular tumor types. For clinical management of the patient, thyroid cancer is generally divided into two categories: well-differentiated or poorly differentiated.
Well differentiated tumors (papillary or follicular) are highly treatable and usually curable.
- Papillary thyroid cancer is the most common thyroid cancer. Usually a slowly growing cancer, papillary is unlikely to metastasize to distant parts of the body, yet a few cases of aggressive tumors can occur. Papillary thyroid cancer is highly treatable and usually curable.
- Follicular thyroid cancer is the second most frequent thyroid cancer and more common in areas of iodine deficiency. The tumor is generally slow growing and slow to metastasize.
Poorly differentiated thyroid cancers (medullary or anaplastic) are much less common. They are aggressive, metastasize early, and have a much poorer prognosis.
- Medullary thyroid carcinoma is the rarest type of thyroid cancer, occurring sporadically. About 25% of cases are linked to an inherited condition. General 10-year survival is 50%, with some tumors having a much better prognosis than others.
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer occurs in 1 – 2% of thyroid cancers. It is a very dangerous malignancy, with most patients deceased within one year and almost 100% of cases are fatal within two years, regardless of the degree of spread at the time of diagnosis.
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Thyroid Cancer and Toxic Exposure
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and various other health agencies have undertaken scientific studies to qualify the exposure of civilians and marines to the harm done by the contaminated water on the base.
As thousands of CLJA claims make their way through the legal system, specifics of Camp Lejeune lawsuits will continue to emerge. In this light, we expect Camp Lejeune cancer lawsuit payouts to be based on a leveled, or tiered, system to be established by the Navy JAG or the Justice Department.
Tier 1 Camp Lejeune lawsuits will be those with the most conclusive medical documentation and epidemiological evidence linking cancer or other diseases to the contaminated water. Epidemiological evidence says that a particular exposure causes a particular harm within a certain population.
In this case, there are definitive links between certain diseases and regular exposure to toxic chemicals in Camp Lejeune water. Therefore, tier 1 conditions are presumptively linked to the Camp Lejeune water by the VA.
Note the VA does not list thyroid cancer. Likewise, the ATSDR does not include thyroid cancer as a condition for which it found evidence to support a causal relationship with the toxic water at the base.
Tier 2 Camp Lejeune claims will be those supported by less conclusive epidemiological evidence and medical literature linking specific diseases or cancers to the contaminated water.
Tier 3 Camp Lejeune claims will likely be those diseases that the ATSDR has not identified as clearly linked to the toxic chemicals in the Camp Lejeune water supply. However, there is a probability that the water may have caused these cancers. Thyroid cancer lawsuits will likely fall into this group.
The above explanation of tiered cases is a starting point that will undoubtedly be clarified and refined,
- as additional studies come forth,
- as cases begin to be adjudicated, and
- as attorneys can engage in and argue undervalued settlement offers and bring trial cases before juries.
Can I File a Thyroid Cancer Lawsuit Against Camp Lejeune?
Yes. You must comply with the U.S. Navy’s administrative claim process to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit. The first step is to file your administrative claim with the Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Navy’s Tort Claims Unit.
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 lawyers handle all paperwork and filings to ensure you remain eligible and that you stand to recover maximum damages. We know you have questions about your case, and we welcome your call to (800) 562-9830 to discuss your Camp Lejeune lawsuit and get the answers you need.
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There Are Several Criteria You Must Meet to File a Lawsuit about Camp Lejeune
Anyone who lived, worked, or was stationed at Camp Lejeune at any time beginning on August 1, 1953, and ending on December 31, 1987, may file a claim. This includes:
- Members of the Armed Forces
- Civil Service Employees
- Civilians
- Civilian Military Dependents
- Civilian Employees Working for a Private Company On Base
- 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.
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How an Attorney Can Help
While certain issues may be more challenging to prove, as with thyroid cancer, an experienced Camp Lejeune cancer attorney from Marc Whitehead & Associates can help you navigate your Camp Lejeune cancer lawsuit or settlement and ultimately get the justice you deserve.
“Equipoise” causation is the evidentiary standard applied to all Camp Lejeune claims. To recover compensation under the CLJA, claimants 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.
A causal relationship is established if the evidence is 50/50 on whether the toxins caused the injury. If the evidence is equipoise and above, then the burden of proof is met.
What if a condition is below equipoise? That does not mean you cannot recover; it only means you don’t get presumptive causation. The scientific evidence must show that the contaminated water “at least as likely as not” caused your thyroid cancer.
Scientific studies and medical evidence exist that may support Camp Lejeune water contamination claims based on thyroid cancer and other tier 3 conditions. For example, Marine Corps veterans’ claims previously denied by the VA may now meet the burden of proof under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act standards.
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If you believe your thyroid cancer is due to exposure to contaminated water, contact us now to be sure your rights are protected. You may be entitled to compensation in a Camp Lejeune cancer lawsuit, and we are here to represent you through the entire process.
Call or text 800-562-9830 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form