New legislation has opened the door for those harmed by Camp Lejeune water contamination to take legal action. If you lived or worked on base at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina from 1953 to 1987, you may qualify for financial compensation via a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit. A lawsuit may be able to help you with any health impairments you suffer from because of Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water supply.
A lawyer with the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you with your case. Our team can assist you or your loved ones with a lawsuit and also help you apply for available medical and disability benefits. It is well known that contaminated drinking water can drastically affect your health. It may even have a negative impact on your overall quality of life and day to day way of living.
Veterans and Their Families Were Exposed to Two Contaminated Wells At Camp Lejeune
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), from Aug. 1, 1953, to Dec. 31, 1987, servicemembers, civilian employees, and their families were exposed to contaminated drinking water from two on-base water wells at Camp Lejeune and MCAS. The contamination stemmed from on-base industrial activities, on-base leaking storage tanks, and an off-base dry cleaner. Chemicals found in the drinking water include trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, benzene, and other harmful compounds.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 1 million veterans, staff, and other individuals may have suffered exposure. Furthermore, a 2010 House Hearing showed that the United States Marine Corps (USMC) was aware of the contamination for four years before closing the wells. Additionally, another 24 years would pass before the USMC notified veterans and offered benefits under the Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Conditions
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine want you to know that we have everything covered from start to finish. The only thing we want you to be concerned with is getting better or at least compensated for any permanent service-related health conditions. Since 2012, veterans and their family members have been able to seek VA health care benefits for 15 conditions presumed to be related to the Camp Lejeune water contamination:
- Kidney cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Lung cancer
- Leukemia
- Female infertility
- Miscarriage
- Hepatic steatosis
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
Applicants need only show that they lived or worked on base for 30 or more cumulative days from August 1954 to December 1987 and provide medical records proving they have a qualifying condition. They do not need to provide further evidence or documentation linking their illness to their military service or time on base.
Additionally, veterans, reservists, and guardsmen with one of the following eight presumed Camp Lejeune water contamination conditions also automatically qualify for disability benefits:
- Adult leukemia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Bladder cancer
- Liver cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
Veterans can seek health care coverage and disability payments for other illnesses, but they must demonstrate a link between their condition and their service. One of our trusted lawyers will be able to guide you through this process to ensure the best possible outcome for your case.
The PACT Act Opens the Way for Camp Lejeune Lawsuits
On Aug. 10, 2022, the SFC Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (S. 3373) became law. Also known as the PACT Act, this legislation allows those exposed to Camp Lejeune water contamination (including those exposed in utero) to seek compensation through legal action under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022.
Anyone harmed by the contaminated water wells can file suit, including those previously barred by North Carolina’s statute of limitations. Claimants now have two years from the passage of the PACT Act (or 180 days from receiving a denied claim for medical or disability benefits) to take action.
Camp Lejeune Compensation
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 states that plaintiffs can pursue monetary awards for contamination-related damages, minus the amount of any disability or medical payments already provided. Compensation may include:
- Past and future medical expenses. You can seek reimbursement for past out-of-pocket medical expenses and awards to pay for your future medical needs. Medical damages may include the cost of doctor and hospital bills, medications, surgeries, cancer treatments, physical therapy, in-home health care, hospice, and long-term nursing services.
- Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering damages award victims for physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional suffering. You can pursue monetary awards for depression, scarring, disfigurement, stress, anxiety, physical disabilities, and other quality of life reductions.
- Lost income. You can recover back pay for work lost due to your illness. You can also seek awards for the loss of your earning capacity if your illness forced you to change careers, reduce your work hours, retire, or caused you to miss out on opportunities for advancement and promotion.
- Wrongful death. If your family member died due to a Camp Lejeune water contamination illness, their personal representative can seek compensation on behalf of their beneficiaries. Wrongful death awards may include the deceased’s medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, and lost income.
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Can Help You Seek Justice
Securing compensation through a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit can be more complex than seeking VA benefits because legal action requires that you prove a causal relationship between your condition and the contaminated wells. Our attorneys can assist with every aspect of your case. We will:
- Obtain medical records proving you suffer from a Camp Lejeune water contamination-related health condition
- Obtain testimony from your doctors (with permission) and other medical professionals
- Gather scientific evidence linking your illness to substances found in the on-base water wells
- Prove you lived or worked on base during the contamination period using housing records, military records, or other documentation
- Locate and interview witnesses who can testify about your illness or its connection to Camp Lejeune
- Identify and calculate the damages owed to you and your loved ones
- File your lawsuit within the time limits established by the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (the PACT act)
- Fight for an advantageous out-of-court settlement or represent you during trial
- Answer your questions, address your concerns, and provide you with frequent case updates (we even give you your lawyer’s direct phone number)
- Help you apply for VA medical or disability benefits or appeal denied claims.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine are here to help you take back your life. We believe quality legal representation should be available to everyone, so we take cases on contingency. This means you pay us nothing upfront, and we only collect a fee if we win your case.
Once we go over the details of your claim we’ll have a better idea on how much compensation you’ll be eligible for. You’ll be in direct contact with one of our attorneys who will be available by phone or email whenever you need them. To learn more about seeking compensation through a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, contact us today for a free consultation.
