Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawyers
Victims of Camp Lejeune water toxicity have been waiting years for the government to take responsibility. Now that the PACT Act has passed, families hurt by the government’s negligent actions in dealing with the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune finally have a path to justice.
If you or your family members have suffered an injury or illness due to toxic water exposure at the U.S. Marine Corps base, a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyer from our firm can fight for your fair compensation. The Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group represents injured victims, and we’re ready to pursue the justice you should have received long ago.
Call us right away for a free consultation. We can answer your questions, apprise you of your rights, and explain the legal process involved in your claim.
Why Choose Our Firm to Handle Your Camp Lejeune Toxic Exposure Case
Our firm focuses on bringing injury victims the justice they deserve and the compensation they need to cover their medical treatment costs, lost income, mental health, and other expenses.
Our Camp Lejeune contamination lawyers pride themselves on offering legal service that is guided by:
- Accountability - We work to hold negligent parties accountable for their actions and strive to do the right thing for our clients.
- Proactivity: Our attorneys anticipate and prepare for what’s to come, so we stay ahead of the opposing party.
- Efficiency: We stay organized and streamline our procedures so that we can work as quickly as possible to bring you a favorable outcome in your case.
- Compassion: Our Camp Lejeune lawyers understand the physical and emotional hardship you’ve experienced through the years. We are determined to do everything we can to ease your burden.
- Optimism: If we take on your case, you can rest assured we see a path forward to victory. Even when faced with challenges, we maintain a focus on developing solutions.
- Customer service: You remain our priority. Our legal team dedicates time and attention to each client to make sure the job is done right.
Our Camp Lejeune Lawyers Can Help You Meet the Burden of Proof
Filing a lawsuit for compensation in any personal injury case requires that you meet the burden of proof for establishing negligence. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CJLA), which lays out the rights and responsibilities of contaminated water victims, establishes a low burden of proof. Victims need only to provide one scientific study linking their injury or illness to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
Per the CJLA, the study must:
- Eliminate “chance and bias” as the reason for your illness or the reason you believe you are ill
- Conclude with sufficient evidence that exposure to toxic water is one possible cause of the illness or injury you’ve suffered
- Be a human, animal, or epidemiological study
Our legal team can assist you in retrieving a scientific study that satisfies the burden of proof for compensation.
Our Law Firm Takes Your Contaminated Water Case with No Upfront Costs
We charge you nothing upfront to take your case. Our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay us if we win compensation. We don’t impose any more barriers to start on your Camp Lejeune lawsuit. You’ve already struggled enough.
Can You File a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Case?
Close to a million people faced exposure to the poisonous water at the U.S. Marine Corps base called Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Military servicemen and women, civilian staff members, visitors to the base, parents, children, and even unborn babies were unknowingly endangered by the chemical-laden water. You may have been one of them if you were at the base from 1953 to 1987.
The PACT Act empowers victims harmed by this exposure to sue the government if they currently suffer from at least one of the illnesses and injuries linked to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune and satisfy one of the following criteria:
- They resided at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, for at least 30 days, cumulatively.
- They worked at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, for at least 30 days, cumulatively.
- They were exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, for at least 30 days, cumulatively, including as a fetus.
If you believe the government’s negligence harmed you at Camp Lejeune, we can help you file your case.
Which Chemicals Were Found in the Water at Camp Lejeune?
Researchers detected more than 70 different chemicals in the well water of Camp Lejeune at levels far past the safe limit for human beings. The water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning contained more than 280 times the safe exposure limit of four core chemicals and 70 secondary chemicals.
The primary four chemicals in the water are volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They aim to create a plethora of products that are not safe for consumption and even pose a health risk with certain kinds of prolonged exposure. Paints, refrigerants, paint thinners, petroleum fuels, cleaning products, pesticides, permanent markers, adhesives, building materials and many other manufactured products contain VOCs.
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the following four core chemicals were detected in the Camp Lejeune water:
- Benzene
- Perchloroethylene (PCE), also known as Tetrachloroethylene
- Vinyl chloride
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
What Health Complications Connect to the Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune?
Researchers have found various illnesses and health conditions link to the VOCs at Camp Lejeune.
You may have received a diagnosis for any of the illnesses and health challenges below. If so, our Camp Lejeune water contamination attorneys can take your case:
Cancers Linked to VOCs in Camp Lejeune Water
According to the ATSDR, exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune may have resulted in these cancers:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Hodgkins disease
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Ovarian cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Rectal cancer
Additional health problems associated with Camp Lejeune VOCs include:
- Brain injuries
- Aplastic anemia
- Eye defects
- Birth defects
- Fetal death
- Choanal atresia
- Miscarriage
- Impaired immune system
- Infertility
- Low birth weight
- Neurobehavioral issues
- Neurological problems
- Parkinson’s disease
- Cardiac defects
- Scleroderma
If you or a loved one has suffered from any of these health conditions, a Camp Lejeune lawyer at our firm can evaluate your case and determine your eligibility to file a case for compensation.
The List of Health Conditions from Camp Lejeune May Continue to Grow
The above list is not exhaustive. As new research comes out, health conditions linked to the contaminated Camp Lejeune water will likely continue to grow.
If you have a health condition we didn’t mention above that you believe stems from the toxic water exposure at Camp Lejeune, we encourage you to come forward with your case.
Our Atlanta personal injury attorneys can provide you with additional information to confirm whether your illness links to the toxic chemicals found at Camp Lejeune. We may continue to keep a close eye on the legal, medical, and scientific developments that arise concerning Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure.
You Only Have a Short Time to File Your Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Lawsuit
Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, you generally have two years from the date the law went into effect. Our Camp Lejeune water contamination attorneys can build a strong case for your compensation and file your case before time runs out.
If you think you may have a lawsuit, do not delay in reaching out to our firm.
Why Can Camp Lejeune Victims Sue the Government Now?
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act in July 2022. The bill then made its way to the Senate, which passed it on August 2, 2022, and on August 10, 2022, President Biden signed it into law, according to the White House.
This newly passed law, also known as the Honoring Our Pact Act or the PACT Act, addresses the health effects of toxic exposure that service members faced during their service. The legislation covers a multitude of subjects related to toxic exposure.
Among the legislative changes it makes, the PACT Act expands VA health care to veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. It also adds more VA health presumptions for toxic exposure. Additionally, it established the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. The CLJA provides victims suffering illness due to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune the right to pursue restitution from the federal government.
Why Did It Take So Long for Camp Lejeune Victims to be Able Seek Restitution?
If the first toxic water exposure happened in 1953, many people might be wondering why it took so long for victims to get justice. Several factors contributed to the delay in providing toxic water victims the opportunity to recover compensation from the government.
The Marine Corps Hid the Knowledge of the Contaminated Water
The Marine Corps most likely knew of the contaminated water in the early 1980s. The Corps concealed the information until 1984, when it could no longer escape the increased number of tests conducted on the base’s water.
By that time, the Corps was already using storm drains to dispose of oil, hazardous waste, and solvents, burying radioactive test dogs on the base, and allowing gallons of fuel to leak into the ground for decades. On top of that, nearby dry-cleaning companies were dumping chemicals near the base.
The Government Failed to Act
The contamination became public, but the Corps downplayed it, asserting that the chemicals were “trace” and posed little threat. They shut down 10 of the wells on the base in 1985. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigations yielded little in the way of repercussions for the Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps Waited Decades to Inform Camp Lejeune Victims
The Corps waited until 1999 to notify some former residents of the toxic water and potential outcomes. Nearly another decade passed before the Marine Corps began widespread notification to marines and their families in 2008 at the command of Congress.
Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water Victims Shut Down by the Court
Until 2008, many victims of the Camp Lejeune water toxicity had not known they were exposed to it. However, some did know they were experiencing health complications. More than 800 victims filed lawsuits against the government. Their cases were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), but in 2017, the court dismissed all the cases in Straw v. United States.
The court ruled that the statute of repose in North Carolina had passed, and the government was no longer responsible for paying damages to victims. A statute of repose is the amount of time an accused party is liable for negligence. North Carolina sets its statute of repose at 10 years from the date of the final act of culpability.
In the case of Camp Lejeune, the final act of negligence was in 1985, the year they shut down the last contaminated well. That means the statute of repose expired in 1995— well before most victims knew they were sick due to the water. The CLJA makes the statute of repose irrelevant, allowing victims the chance to seek restitution regardless of when the negligent acts occurred.
Call Our Firm to Start Your Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
If you or a loved one has suffered from preventable illness and injuries due to the government’s negligence in handling the toxic water at Camp Lejeune, you can seek compensation.
A Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyer at the Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group can help you file a lawsuit for the restitution you deserve. Contact us today at (404) 609-1724 for your free consultation. The time for justice is now.