What is this case about?
Between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, drinking water at Camp Lejeune United States Marine Corps (USMC) Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina may have been contaminated with dangerous chemicals.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer of other serious illness after spending at least 30 days living or working at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, you may have a claim for money damages. Contact the Camp Lejeune lawyers at Thornton Law Firm by calling 833-514-3270 or tell us your story here. Thornton Law Firm’s experienced toxic tort attorneys can help you assess your potential claim. The consultation is free and confidential. Do not delay seeking legal advice. All claims must be filed within two years of the law taking effect.
What is Camp Lejeune?
Dedicated in 1942, Camp Lejeune is a Marine training base located in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The sprawling base, which consists of more than 250 acres in Onslow County, houses Marines and other military service members. Camp Lejeune serves as a base of operations for the Marine Corps and supports major Navy and Coast Guard commands as well. Over 50,000 service members and retirees live there, as well as their families and civilian workers. In its entirety, Camp Lejeune contains the largest concentration of marines and sailors in the world.
New Camp Lejeune water contamination law
Originally, the claims of those injured by exposure to dangerous chemicals in the water at Camp Lejeune were denied. North Carolina has a 10 year “statute of repose” (also known as a statute of limitations), and under that law, the lawsuits that were filed over the last decade were dismissed as untimely.
The “Camp Lejeune Justice Act” was passed by the U. S. House of Representatives on March 3, 2022. On June 16, 2022 the Senate voted to pass the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. Once the bill is signed into law, the law will allow anyone who lived or worked in Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 to file a claim for damages. The law contains a two-year deadline for claims to be filed.
Who is eligible? Who can file a Camp Lejeune contaminated water lawsuit?
Again, anyone who suffered certain health effects after living or working in Camp Lejeune for 30 days within the covered period of August 1, 1953 and December 3, 1987 can file a claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
What chemicals were found in the Camp Lejeune water?
- Benzene
- Perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Vinyl chloride (VC)
All four of these toxic chemicals are known to cause cancer in humans. These carcinogens “were found at levels ranging from 240 to 3400 times the levels permitted by safety standards,” according to a press release announcing the passage of the Act by three of North Carolina’s members of the House of Representatives.
What illnesses does Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water cause?
Cancers and other serious health issues associated with exposure to VOC’s include:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Esophageal Cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Renal Toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Lung Cancer
- Hepatic Steatosis (Fatty Liver Disease)
- Miscarriage
- Cardiac Birth Defects (for persons whose mother was living at the camp for at least 30 days during pregnancy)
- Neurobehavioral effects