Camp Lejeune Water Lawsuit

Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Overview

Over one million U.S. Marines and their family members who worked or lived at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River in North Carolina between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 were exposed to contaminated water that contained toxic chemicals and solvents, which are known to cause cancer and other serious health side effects.

Although coverage for these injuries has been denied for decades, individuals can now pursue a Camp Lejeune lawsuit payout and settlement benefits.

Is the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Real or Legit?

Yes. On August 10, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 (H.R. 3967), which is more commonly known as the PACT Act. This included a new Camp Lejeune water contamination law, which allows veterans, family members and other individuals who developed injuries likely caused by toxins in the water to file a lawsuit until August 10, 2024.

Lawyers are providing free consultations and claim evaluations to help veterans and their families determine if they are eligible for a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.

Who is Eligible for the Camp Lejeune Lawsuits?

Financial compensation may be available for any individual who suffered an injury caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, after living or working on the base for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, including:

• U.S. Military Servicemembers
• Military Family Members Residing on Base
• Unborn Children Exposed In Utero
• Civilian Contractors Working at Camp Lejeune

Camp Lejeune lawsuit payouts are being pursued for various types of cancer and other injuries that have been linked to chemicals and toxins that contaminated the drinking water.

Camp Lejeune Cancer Lawsuits:

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Brain Cancer
• Breast cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Central Nervous System Cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colon Cancer/Colorectal Cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Hodgkins Lymphoma
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Leukemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Prostate Cancer
• Rectal Cancer
• Thyroid Cancer

Other Side Effects Eligible for Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Settlements:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Renal Toxicity/Kidney Disease
• Kidney Damage
• Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease)
• Aplastic anemia
• Scleroderma
• Birth defects
• Miscarriage
• Female Infertility
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Epilepsy (seizures)
• Immune Disorders
• Nerve Damage
• Neurobehavioral effects
• Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS or Pre-Leukemia)
• Neurobehavioral effects (tremors, lack of coordination, movement or motor problems or other symptoms consistent with undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease)

Latest Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Updates

January 2023 Update: Thousands of Camp Lejeune water lawsuits will be filed in early February 2023, after the 180-day administrative review periods begin to expire for claims presented to the U.S. government after the Camp Lejeune Justice Act was signed into law on August 10, 2022.

December 2022 Update: U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III has dismissed a number of early claims filed before exhausting the administrative Camp Lejeune lawsuit settlement options under the new law, finding that plaintiffs need to refile their claim if the U.S. government denies the claims or fails to reach a resolution within six months.

October 2022 Update: The U.S. Navy JAG office indicated more than 5,000 claims were filed in the first few weeks after the PACT Act was passed. In addition a GAO report found that thousands of veterans’ diability claims linked to Camp Lejeune water contamination had been prematurely or wrongly denied before the Act was passed into law.

September 2022 Update: The first Camp Lejeune water lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, where all complaints must be filed after proper notice has been provided to the U.S. Navy JAG Office of intent to pursue a claim. Over the coming weeks and months, the Court is preparing for thousands of lawsuits to be filed.

August 10, 2022 Update: President Biden signed the PACT Act, which opens the door for former Marines and family members to pursue Camp Lejeune lawsuit payouts. The deadline to file claims has now been set for August 10, 2024.

August 2, 2022 Update: The U.S. Senate passed the new Camp Lejeune water contamination law as part of a landmark package of bills, which President Biden has indicated he will soon sign into law.

July 15, 2022 Update: The U.S. House of Representatives voted 342-88 this week to pass an amended version of the “Honoring Our PACT Act”, which contains provisions that will allow Camp Lejeune lawsuits over water contamination. The amended version contains the exact language that has already passed the U.S. Senate, with only one small clause removed that has delayed final approval due to tax implications.

June 23, 2022 Update: The latest update on the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 suggests that an amended version of the law approved by the U.S. Senate last week will soon be introduced for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is part of a package of bills known as the “Honoring our PACT” Act, which President Biden has indicated he plans to swiftly sign into law.

History of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Problems

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a nearly 250-square-mile training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. It went into operation in 1942.

From 1957 to at least 1987, evidence suggests that U.S. Marines and their families, as well as vendors and contractors who worked and lived on or near the base, were exposed to heavily contaminated water, which they and their families both drank and bathed in without knowledge of the potential health risks.

Many of those chemicals came from on-site laundry services and leaking underground storage tanks, which contaminated the base’s wells with volatile organic compounds and toxic solvents, linked to birth defects, pregnancy risks, as well as numerous forms of cancer.

Chemicals Found in Camp Lejeune Water

Grainger Laboratories began testing the water at Camp Lejeune for chemicals in response to new safety standards enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which discovered than 70 different chemicals in drinking water wells at Camp Lejeune since the late 1950s. Many of these chemicals are exposed Marines and family members to a risk of  cancer from drinking contaminated Camp Lejeune water, including:

• Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
• Benzene
• Vinyl Chloride
• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• DCE (trans-1,2-dichloroethylene)
• 70+ more toxic solvents and chemicals

The government and base officials knew about the contamination for decades. However, despite warnings from experts and numerous damning inspections and reports, little to nothing was done about the Camp Lejeune water contamination problems and the water was deemed safe, even as its poor, and alarming, chemical taste was commented on by marines and their families for years.

The wells were shut off in 1985, due to the high levels of contamination. However, they were illegally reactivated later.

One of the chemicals with the highest concentrations found in Camp Lejeune water was TCE, which is commonly used for dry cleaning and degreasing metal, and has also been linked to increased risks of cancer, congenital heart disease and pregnancy complications.

However, in a study that was published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease in March 2023, researchers indicate that individuals and families who drank, bathed, cooked, swam, and played in Camp Lejeune water contaminated with TCE could be 500% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Researchers stated that the toxic chemical TCE has neurodegenerative effects on the human body that can lead to the onset of Parkinson’s disease and other nervous system disorders.

Areas of Camp Lejeune With Contaminated Water

Chemicals in the Camp Lejeune water were distributed throughout the Marine base, including MCAS New River between 1953 and 1987. During this time, the following family housing units at Camp Lejeune were affected by toxic contaminated water:

• Tarawa Terrace I
• Tarawa Terrace II
• Midway Park
• Berkeley Manor
• Knox Landing
• Watkins Village
• Paradise Point
• Camp Knox Trailer Park
• Camp Johnson
• Camp Geiger
• MCAS New River
• Holcomb Boulevard
• Courthouse Bay
• Hospital Point

In October 2010, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program wrote a letter declaring that the drinking water at the base presented a health hazard.

The declaration came decades too late for many of the marines and families that lived on the base for years, drinking and bathing in water that was heavily contaminated. Some chemical contaminants were found at levels nearly 4,000 times higher than deemed safe for human consumption.

Examples of Camp Lejeune Lawsuits

Prior to the passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, the U.S. Government and Department of Veterans Affairs denied claims and fought to avoid paying compensation to veterans and family members injured. In 2016, more than 850 Camp Lejeune Lawsuits were dismissed, since the water contamination was discovered long after the North Carolina Statute of Repose had expired. However, under the new Camp Lejeune law, individuals can pursue a lawsuit until August 10, 2024.

Camp Lejeune Birth Defects Lawsuit: A joint complaint was filed by six individuals who were each exposed to Camp Lejeune water in utero on August 22, 2022, indicating that their mothers drank, cooked and bathed in contaminated water before they were born. As a result, plaintiff’s indicate that they suffered various birth defects from the Camp Lejeune water, including scarred retinas and blindness, kidney birth defects, spinal disorders, low birth weight, hip malformations, skeletal anomalies, spina bifida occulta and a spinal malformation.

Camp Lejeune Multiple Myeloma Lawsuit: Son of a U.S. Marine exposed to Camp Lejeune water in the 1970s filed a lawsuit, alleging that he developed multiple myeloma decades later. Robert Park indicates that he regularly consumed the water playing sports and living with his family at Camp Lejeune between June 1975 and June 1979. Lawsuit alleges the Camp Lejeune water caused multiple myeloma that was diagnosed in August 2005.

Camp Lejeune Chronic Kidney Disease Lawsuit: Former U.S. Marine Victor Malafronte filed a lawsuit alleging that Camp Lejeune water caused chronic kidney disease and chronic interstitial nephritis, following service at the base in the 1960s. Although the U.S. government previously denied his claim in 2019, the lawsuit was filed weeks after the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was signed into law. As a result of the kidney problems from Camp Lejeune water, Malafronte, indicates that he was unable to maintain steady employment, experienced depression and other side effeects.

Camp Lejeune Aplastic Anemia Lawsuit: One of the first Camp Lejeune lawsuits was filed by Andrea Weiner, of Ohio, who developed Aplastic Anemia from the water, which is a serious blood condition caused by bone marrow development failure. Weiner claims that Aplastic Anemia was caused by exposure to TCE, PCE, vinyl chloride and benzene in Camp Lejeune’s water supply. The complaint indicates Weiner filed an administrative relief claim to the U.S. Navy in 2002, but was ultimately denied by the Navy’s failure to respond.

Camp Lejeune Ovarian Cancer Lawsuit: On August 11, 2022, a complaint was filed on behalf of three separate women, indicating that the Camp Lejeune water caused ovarian cancer to develop for each of them. One of the claims was a Camp Lejeune wrongful death lawsuit filed by the surviving husband of Charlotte Luthy, who lived in the Tarawa Terrace area from 1972 to 1974.

Camp Lejeune Class Action Lawsuit: A class action lawsuit over Camp Lejeune water contamination was filed by Donald Stringfellow on August 14, 2022, pursuing certification of his complaint to protect the statutory rights, opportunities and benefits accorded under the new law.

How to File A Camp Lejeune Water Lawsuit?

The ability to file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit was specifically authorized under the PACT Act of 2022, opening a two year window for individuals injured by the toxic water to pursue financial compensation. However, specific guidelines and requirements must be filed to file a case and obtain a Camp Lejeune settlement.

Prior to filing a lawsuit against the U.S. government, notice of the Camp Lejeune water contamination claim must be provided to the appropriate federal agency under the requirements of 28 U.S. Code § 2675.

The U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps has posted information about how to file a claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, outlining the steps that must be taken to file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit. The agency indicates that even claims previously denied under the Federal Tort Claims Act over water contamination at Camp Lejeune, must still be refiled for consideration under the new law.

Each claimant must file a Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claim form (PDF), providing specific information about their claim, including:

• Status at time of exposure to Camp Lejeune water (Member of the Armed Forces; Military Family Member or Dependent; Civil Service Employee; Civilian; Contractor Working for Private Company on Base; Unborn Individual Exposed In Utero)
• Where you resided at the time of exposure (Terawa Terrace Housing; Hospital Point Housing; Other On-Base Housing; Outside of Camp Lejeune)
• Whether you worked at Hadnot Point Industrial Area in Camp Lejeune
• Nature of your injury (Personal Injury Caused by Water at Camp Lejeune; Wrongful Death Following Exposure to Camp Lejeune Water)
• Specific type of cancer or other injury that is the basis of the Camp Lejeune lawsuit

The form also requires that each individual specify the amount of their Camp Lejeune claim in U.S. dollars, certifying that it will be accepted as a full and final Camp Lejeune water settlement amount if offered by the U.S. Government. Failure to specific the total amount of the damages sought from the Camp Lejeune water contamination during this process may result in a forfeiture of your rights.

The completed CLJA claim form can be returned by email to CLclaims@us.navy.mil, or via U.S. Mail to:

Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyers can assist with completing these claim forms on your behalf, and have the ability to submit batch filings, which will expedite the filing of claims.

A Camp Lejeune lawsuit can not be filed until the submitted claim is rejected in writing, sent by certified or registered mail, or if the government fails to make a final disposition within six months after it is filed.

While the Department of the Navy has indicated that it is committed to reviewing and resolving the claim forms in a timely manner, it is unknown at this time how they will be able to process the tens of thousands of Camp Lejeune claims that are being submitted.

If a Camp Lejeune Settlement is not reached within six months after the claim is submitted, a lawsuit can be filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which has been granted exclusive jurisdiction over the claims. The deadline to file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit is 8/10/2024.

Do I need a lawyer to file a Camp Lejeune Water Lawsuit?

While you do not need a lawyer to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, it is important to carefully follow the requirements of the new law and seek legal advice if you are unfamiliar with the process. A lawyer can help you navigate the filing your claim and protect your legal interests, to help make sure you get all of the settlement benefits you are entitled to receive.

Camp Lejeune lawyers provide free consultations to help determine if you or a loved one may be eligible for a settlement, and can provide advice regarding the process of pursuing a claim. There are no fees or expenses unless a recovery is obtained in your case.