Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
If you or a loved one lived or
worked at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1953 and 1987 and believe your
cancer, serious injury or a loved one’s death may be related to the water
contamination, please call us at +1 (512) 215-4551 today.
Camp Lejeune is a Marine Corps Base
located in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The largest Marine Corps base on the
East Coast, it has been home to many millions of servicemembers and their
families since it was established in 1941. It is also the site of one of the
worst water contamination cases and government cover-ups in U.S. history.
For 35 years—between 1953 and 1987—nearly one
million military service members, civilian workers, and their families lived on base,
unknowingly drinking and bathing in water that was contaminated with toxins. Oil,
petrol, industrial wastewater, and toxic chemicals (such as degreasers and solvents)
were knowingly dumped into local storm drains by the U.S. government. Buried fuel tanks
leaked into the drinking water supply. Chemicals flowed to the facility from an off-base
dry-cleaning company, along with industrial solvents used nearby to clean military
equipment.
In the 1970s, the Environmental Protection
Agency labeled the base as a “major polluter,” as the water was found to be laced with
chemicals at levels that were
240 to 3400
times more than safety standards
allow. Despite a 1974 base order requiring safe disposal of solvents, these chemicals
were dumped and buried near base wells for years. Even after water contamination was
identified in
1980
, the pollution still continued. Government
officials covered up this illegal dumping for years, and
skirted
attempts to reveal the truth.
Experts note that the drinking water tested at
a Camp Lejeune well was some of the
most highly contaminated
ever seen in the U.S. An
assessment
by the US Department of Health and
Human Services’ Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) found the
levels of certain chemicals in the tainted water were high enough to increase the risks
of cancer and other serious illnesses, including young children and pregnant women.
Many servicemembers and family members that
were exposed to the contamination on Camp Lejeune have developed certain cancers and
serious conditions, and deserve justice for their injuries. Grant & Eisenhofer
is a firm of dedicated, compassionate attorneys willing to fight for your rights and
recover the financial compensation you deserve. Contact us today if you believe you have
a valid claim. Your consultation is free, and you will only pay fees if we recover
financial compensation on your behalf.
Which Chemicals Contaminated the Water?
Along with many other toxic substances,
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in Camp Lejeune’s drinking water,
including:
-
benzene
-
tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene or PCE)
-
trichloroethylene (TCE)
-
vinyl chloride (VC)
Many VOCs are known to be carcinogenic
(cancer-causing) chemicals, and exposure to them may cause harmful conditions, including
birth defects and miscarriages.
Types of Injuries from Water Contamination
The water contamination at Camp Lejeune has
been linked to many different serious, sometimes terminal, injuries. Compensation from a
Camp Lejeune injury lawsuit may be able to offset some out-of-pocket medical costs or
lost wages associated with these conditions:
-
Aplastic Anemia or other Myelodysplastic Syndromes
-
Birth Defects
-
Bladder Cancer
-
Breast Cancer
-
Esophageal Cancer
-
Female Infertility
-
Fatty Liver
-
Kidney Cancer
-
Leukemia
-
Liver Cancer
-
Lung Cancer
-
Miscarriage
-
Multiple Myeloma
-
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
-
Parkinson’s Disease
-
Renal Toxicity
-
Scleroderma
Who Is Eligible to File a Camp Lejeune Injury Lawsuit?
Within the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, the
Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 provides a cause of action against the U.S. government.
Anyone who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 for at least 30
days, was exposed to contaminated water, and harmed by such exposure may take legal
action.
This includes veterans, civilians and families—even those who, at
the time, were exposed to the tainted water in the womb.
The Act provides for a two-year statute of
limitations—or amount of time an individual has to file a claim to potentially recover
funds for injuries from exposure to contaminated water.
What Should I Do if I Think I am Eligible to File a Camp Lejeune Injury Lawsuit?
If you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune in
North Carolina between 1953 and 1987 and believe your cancer or other serious injury was
caused by water contamination, call us today.
The Spark Core
can
evaluate your potential claim with you during a completely free consultation. Call us at
+1 (512) 215-4551 or fill out
our
contact
form to speak with an attorney about your potential case.