Camp Lejeune lawsuits: Understanding The Effect Of Water Contamination And Your Legal Options.

Camp Lejeune is a military base located in Jacksonville, North Carolina, the largest on the East Coast. For 35 years, from 1953 to 1987, it has been home to many of America's country-dwelling military service members, workers, civilians, and their families, who unknowingly consumed contaminated water due to poor disposal of hazardous chemicals.


People who have consumed these waters, including pregnant women and children, have experienced severe health problems due to prolonged exposure to these chemicals, not only causing severe physical and health damage but also causing a severe financial impact on themselves, their family and loved ones. Legal help can increase the chances of obtaining appropriate compensation and alleviate that financial burden.


In this blog, you will find all the information about the Camp Lejeune lawsuits, their background, and the type of legal action you can take if you were wronged in this case.


Chemicals In The Water Supply.


For over 30 years, the mismanagement of chemicals, toxins, oils, petrol, industrial wastewater, and dangerous chemicals affected between 500,000 and one million people who inhabited the Camp Lejeune military base. These products, used as solvents and degreasers to clean the military base's equipment, were disposed of incorrectly and irresponsibly. Many buried barrels leaked dangerous chemicals into drinking water sources.


Among these substances were volatile organic substances such as:


  • benzene

  • tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene or PCE)

  • trichloroethylene (TCE)

  • vinyl chloride (VC)


These volatile organic compounds are known to have carcinogenic effects on human beings.


In the 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the base a “major polluter” because its water chemical levels were 240 to 3,400 times higher than the allowed standards.


Although the military base was ordered to dispose of waste more safely and meticulously, contamination continued, given that this waste had been buried improperly for years and was leaking into drinking water sources.


Impact On Health Due To Water Contamination.


Military and civilian personnel at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) who consumed or bathed in these contaminated waters, including children, infants, and pregnant women, were exposed to these harmful substances for prolonged periods. They developed different pathologies that include:


  • Bladder cancer
  • Congenital disabilities
  • breast cancer
  • Spontaneous abortion
  • Cervical cancer
  • Multiple myeloma and other myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Esophagus cancer
  • Leukemia in adults
  • Kidney cancer
  • Aplastic anemia and other bone marrow conditions
  • Liver cancer
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Lung cancer
  • Kidney toxicity
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Stomach cancer


Some studies relate the exposure of volatile organic compounds to infertility in women and different neuropathies like dementia, insomnia, declining memory and motor difficulty.


As you can see, not all people develop the same diseases; this will depend on the type and time of exposure. However, this presents a solid grievance to the people who lived in Camp Lejeune during this period.


Am I Eligible For A Lejeune Field Lawsuit?


On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the Delivering on Our Promise to Comprehensively Address Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022.


Section 804 of that law contains the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA), which allows people previously exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to file a new claim with the Department of the Navy.


Anyone who lived in the Lejeune field between 1953 and 1987 for a period of at least thirty days is considered to have been exposed to contaminated water and can, therefore, make a legal claim.


It is also possible to obtain VA Disability Compensation if you were a veteran who served on that base for that period.


If you are considering filing a Camp Lejeune lawsuit, it is best to obtain legal help to understand your options and make the best decision.

We Can Help You.


The medical expenses of contracting cancer can be a severe burden for you and your family. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, among other things, can seriously affect your finances, not to mention the emotional burden that these types of procedures entail.


If you or your loved one lived at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) and thought you contracted cancer or some type of illness due to exposure to contaminated water, we can give you a hand.


People For Law specializes in Camp Lejeune lawsuits. We have the best team in Florida and will get you the best compensation for your grievance.


Contact us to find out your legal options. Do not overlook this injustice that has been committed for 35 years. At People for Law, we are here to help you.


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