Between spam e-mails, television ads, and billboards, everyone has heard something about the Camp Lejeune situation. However, veterans and their families need to know important details about the situation, including the eligibility criteria for filing claims.
Background
For over 50 years, the water supply for the entire Camp Lejeune facility was provided by a series of wells, and some of those wells were contaminated with industrial chemicals. Toxic water from those wells was used for drinking, bathing, and other purposes by military personnel stationed at Camp Lejeune as well as their families. Water from the contaminated wells also suppled schools, day care centers, and hospital and medical facilities
As a result of the toxic water problem, which occurred from 1953 – 1987, countless veterans and their families developed a large variety of cancers, as well as other serious life-altering diseases and conditions.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act
Unfortunately, due to various laws that were in effect and delays in identifying the source of the problem, veterans and their families were unable to pursue claims for their medical conditions that were caused by toxic water exposure. However, this changed in 2021 when Congress passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act allows veterans and their families to obtain compensation for heath conditions that they experienced as a result of being at Camp Lejeune.
Who is eligible?
Eligible claimants must have been:
- living or working at Camp Lejeune between 1953 – 1987
- spent 30 or more days at Camp Lejeune (cumulative days, not consecutive days); and
- be diagnosed with one or more conditions that are related to exposure to contaminated water.
What are the medical conditions?
There are a wide variety of qualifying medical conditions, which include:
- cancers (including breast, esophageal, kidney, liver, lung, appendix, brain, bile duct, colorectal, gallbladder, intestinal, pancreatic, prostate, sinus, spinal, leukemia, multiple myeloma, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and other cancers)
- Parkinson’s disease
- renal toxicity
- myelodysplastic syndromes
- female infertility
- miscarriages
- birth defects
- congenital issues
- cognitive issues
- neurobehavioral issues
Claims Handling
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act requires that these claims be addressed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Attorney J.T. Herber is one of the only attorneys in our region that is licensed to practice law in North Carolina.
Attorney Herber is coordinating the handling of these cases with one of the largest personal injury law firms in North Carolina, which has previously served as lead counsel in a similar billion dollar plus settlement of a governmental claim.
All representation on these claims is on a contingency fee (percentage) basis, with all costs of representation being advanced for claimants. Further, if a client is ineligible to file a claim or does not recover any funds, the client is NOT required to repay any costs affiliated with the representation.