More Than 60,000 Camp Lejeune Water Poisoning Claims Submitted by Injured Veterans, Family Members: Report

A Navy attorney says the U.S. government has not allocated adequate resources to process and resolve Camp Lejeune water poisoning lawsuits in a timely fashion.

A U.S. Navy lawyer estimated that at least 60,000 Camp Lejeune water poisoning claims have already been submitted to the U.S. Government, by former service members, their families and others seeking settlement benefits for injuries sustained after living or working on the North Carolina military base between the mid-1950s and late-1980s.

The claims are all being presented under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CJLA) of 2022, which was signed into law last August, opening a two year window for lawsuits to be filed by individuals poisoned by water on the base, which was known to be contaminated with toxic chemicals for decades.

Under the new law, individuals must submit notice to the U.S. Navy about their intention to bring a claim, and can only file a Camp Lejeune water poisoning lawsuit if the government fails to resolve the claim within 180 days after the notice is provided.

According to a report by Bloomberg News (subscription required) published on May 25, an email sent by an attorney for the U.S. Navy earlier this month suggests that so many claims have been submitted that it is difficult for the department to get an accurate count, but she estimates the number has likely “jumped up to 60,000, but it could be more.”

However, given a lack of resources appropriated to manage the massive compensation program, it doesn’t appear that any claims have been settled or resolved.

In addition, the problems are only going to get worse, as plaintiffs lawyers continue to investigate and file claims alleging Camp Lejeune water poisoning caused various types of cancer, neurological disorders, birth defects and other disease, which is expected to eventually make the litigation one of the largest mass torts in U.S. history before the end of 2024.

Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers from the U.S. House and Senate demanded an update on Camp Lejeune water poisoning lawsuit settlements, asking why it is taking so long to resolve claims where the government has already admitted fault to military veterans and their family members who have been diagnosed with cancer, Parkinson’s disease and other serious ailments.

Bloomberg indicates the Navy lawyer claims her unit is working massive amounts of overtime to process claims, and hopes to double the assigned staff this summer. However, Congress has not yet allocated sufficient funds to deal with the massive influx of claims.

Lawmakers and plaintiffs have pointed out that many of the claimants are continuing to see their health deteriorate, and may die before receiving compensation.

The letter sent by lawmakers demanded that the Navy and Department of Justice provide a detailed Camp Lejeune settlement update by June 9.

June 2023 Camp Lejeune Water Poisoning Lawsuit Update

Estimates suggest more than a million Marines and their family members were exposed to contaminated Camp Lejeune water between the early 1950s and late 1980s, with some reports suggesting that toxic chemicals from Camp Lejeune may be responsible for more than 50,000 cases of breast cancer, 28,000 cases of bladder cancer, and 24,000 cases of renal cancer, as well as thousands of cases involve Parkinson’s disease and other health complications. It is also believed Camp Lejeune water caused birth defects and wrongful death for thousands of unborn children exposed in utero.

While the U.S. government passed this landmark legislation, the law does not include any automatic right to settlement benefits for veterans and their family members. Rather, each claimant must file a lawsuit and establish that they were exposed to Camp Lejeune water for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 31, 1987. It is also necessary that they present expert testimony or support to establish that there is a causal relationship between the Camp Lejeune water and injury, or that such a relationship is at least as likely as not.

At this time, Camp Lejeune injury lawyers are reviewing claims for a wide variety of cancers and other complications that may have been caused by the chemicals in the water, including:

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 Benefits:

• 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)