Yes. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act was signed into law by President Biden on August 10, 2022, as part of the PACT Act. The act allows victims exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Government.
Find out if you’re eligible for compensation on our comprehensive page here: Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) clears the way for somewhere around a million potential victims of contaminated water and their families to secure compensation for health issues caused by exposure.
Victims suffering the harmful effects must have been subjected to toxic water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina for a total of 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987. The 30-day exposure does not have to have been over consecutive days.
Maison Law has made itself available to victims who drank or came in contact with Camp Lejeune water who now reside in California. Victims of cancer and other serious illnesses along with those who have lost a family member as a result of Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base toxic water are now eligible to seek compensation after the passage of the CLJA.
Contact Maison Law for a free consultation to find out how much support the federal government may owe your family.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act Path to Approval
The CLJA passage into law is positive news for the thousands of victims who have been waiting for justice while suffering from many health problems or watching loved ones suffer from medical issues.
In 2016, many potential victims of Camp Lejeune water contamination sought compensation from the U.S. Department of Defense in North Carolina Federal Court. Sadly, the cases were dismissed due to the state’s 10-year statute of repose (like a statute of limitations).
This statute was unfair to victims because it set a cut-off point for litigation against the federal government well before water toxicity at Camp Lejeune was determined to have caused so many health issues. At the time, some people suffering from cancers and other illnesses didn’t even know their time spent at Camp Lejeune could have caused them harm.
To give Camp Lejeune contaminated water victims a real opportunity to seek compensation, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act was created. The bill became part of the PACT Act that was crafted to provide support to the many victims in the military who suffered toxic exposure in U.S. wars and on military bases. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act received approval from the House and Senate in the spring of 2022, but small changes had to be made to the bill and it returned to congress for another round of approvals.
In August of 2022, the PACT Act along with the CLJA got final congressional consent and President Joe Biden was able to sign them into law. (S.3373)
Who is Eligible for Benefits Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act?
Nearly a million people serving, living, and working at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987 may have suffered serious health problems due to exposure to chemicals found in water systems on base.
Potential victims include members of the military and reserve and national guard members. Military family members suffering the harmful effects are exposure are also eligible to file a legal claim under the CLJA. Civilian employees and contractors working on the Marine Corp Base can seek benefits.
Family caregivers for victims who are incapacitated and can’t file a claim for themselves should investigate potential litigation. Mothers who got pregnant after exposure to Camp Lejeune water and children born to those mothers are eligible to file a claim.
Wrongful death benefits are also available to families who represent loved ones who tragically passed on before being granted the right to seek support for their suffering.
A California Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawyer is able to assist local victims in seeking full compensation for many different hardships suffered after contracting cancers and suffering from neurobehavioral effects and other illnesses.
These are just some of the diseases and cancers the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) documents as being linked to exposure to toxins found in Camp Lejeune water wells:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Multiple myeloma
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
The chemicals detected in Camp Lejeune water sources in the 1950s through the 1980s have also been associated with birth defects and cardiac defects. With the help of a skilled California personal injury lawyer, you may be able to prove many illnesses not currently on this list were caused by your contact with Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water.
Contact a California Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water Lawyer
With the passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, victims and their families that have waited decades for the right to seek justice now have a chance to take action. Toxic water victims have a limited time to seek support for the years of medical bills and the physical and emotional hardships they’ve faced.
Maison Law will be representing Camp Lejeune victims and their families living in California as lawsuits move forward against the U.S. Government. If you or a loved one sustained injuries from the water supplies at Camp Lejeune, you could be eligible for substantial compensation. Contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free, no-obligation case consultation to find out what sort of compensation may be available.
