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Cardiac Defects From Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water

Maison Law is representing residents of California who suffered cardiac defects during development in the womb and parents who had children who died from cardiac defects after contact with toxic water present at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Contact us today if you or a loved one suffered congenital heart defects and other birth defects after exposure to Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water between 1953 and 1987.

Support for Cardiac Defect Victims and Their Families Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) was signed into law on August 10, 2022. From that date, victims exposed to Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water have up to two years to file an injury claim against the U.S. Department of Defense. Those eligible for Camp Lejeune settlement money will include victims who developed cardiac defects in utero and their families who suffered emotional and financial hardships.

To receive compensation, victims must document that they served, lived, or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days at any point between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987. The 30 days of exposure do not have to have been on consecutive days.

Cardiac Defects Caused by Exposure to Camp Lejeune Toxic Water

Congenital heart defects are defined as structural problems that occur when the heart and major blood vessels of children in the womb form abnormally. “Congenital” means issues present from birth.

The American Heart Association reports there are at least 18 types of congenital heart defects. These include Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) which leaves an opening in the wall that separates the top two chambers of a newborn’s heart. Pulmonary Valve Stenosis which leaves a heart valve thickened or fused so that it can’t fully open is another example of a cardiac defect.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) finds that a mother’s exposure to the chemical known as trichloroethylene (TCE) can cause cardiac defects during fetal development. TCE was identified in Camp Lejeune well water from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is another substance detected in Camp Lejeune’s water supplies. Both TCE and PCE are linked to developmental complications for babies such as low birth weight and some birth defects.

Treatment of cardiac defects is usually done through surgery to install heart devices or perform a catheter procedure. A heart transplant can work for some patients. Drugs can be used to create a normal heart rhythm in victims. The treatments can be ongoing over a lifetime and the expense of this care can easily send victims and their families into a financial crisis.

Documentation Needed to File a Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claim

Victims and the families of those harmed by Camp Lejeune’s toxic water will seek full compensation for every medical bill they’ve received and will receive. They’ll seek reimbursement for the income a victim can’t earn through employment due to a heart defect disability. The lifelong emotional trauma endured by heart patients is one non-economic hardship that should also earn support through an injury settlement.

First, patients will need to prove their eligibility for benefits provided by the U.S. Government. They’ll need to secure as many helpful documents as possible to turn over in their injury claims:

  • Medical documentation of their diagnosis, birth records, and invoices showing treatment costs. Estimates on the costs of their care that might be needed in the years ahead or over a lifetime would also help determine the size of a Camp Lejeune toxic water birth defect settlement.
  • Veterans of the Marines and other branches of the U.S. Military would also need to provide service records showing they were at Camp Lejeune over the qualifying years. Children who were exposed to harmful chemicals must show that their mothers were serving or living on base before they were born.
  • Paystubs that show a loss of wages and benefits while victims could not go to work during treatment for cardiac defects would also be vital.

The families of congenital heart defect victims young or old who have tragically died from the effects of their time at Camp Lejeune will also need to locate evidence. An attorney representing the family in a Camp Lejeune cardiac defect wrongful death claim would track down documents from decades back if necessary to prove the government’s liability.

To begin investigating your eligibility, please visit our Camp Lejeune injury claim intake page. It’s an easy way to get a better idea if you qualify and it also helps streamline the process when you discuss your case with a California Camp Lejeune Justice Act Lawyer.

Contact a California Camp Lejeune Justice Act Lawyer

Exposure to Camp Lejeune Contaminated water may have caused thousands of pregnant mothers to give birth to children with cardiac defects. Many victims and their family members now live in California.

Maison Law has made itself available to represent California’s victims of cardiac defects due to a mother’s contact with Camp Lejeune’s polluted water. Maison Law is also available to assist parents who have tragically lost a child as a result of toxic water exposure at Camp Lejeune.

Contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free, no-obligation case consultation for you and your family. This consultation is completely confidential.

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