There’s nothing at Onslow Beach at Camp Lejeune other that eight or nine miles of gorgeous beach and the Atlantic Ocean. At times, it’s used for purposes of practicing amphibious landings, but the rest of the time it’s used for recreation. There are even weekend and vacation homes along with RV and traditional campground sites available at Onslow Beach. In environmental circles, Camp Lejeune is well-known for the water contamination that was created over the course of more than 40 years. More than 70 contaminants were discovered in Camp Lejeune water, and the most hazardous of those were the following:
- Trichlorethylene (TCE).
- Perchloroethylene (PCE).
- Vinyl chloride.
The Cancers and Serious Illnesses
Given the well and water supply system at Camp Lejeune, the above toxic contaminants were distributed through much of the base’s water system. Fortunately, the system at Onslow Beach doesn’t appear to have been affected. That doesn’t mean that Marines, their family members and civilian personnel who lived and worked throughout the base weren’t affected though. It was determined that there was a strong connection between the contaminants and serious illnesses like the following:
- Esophageal, lung, breast, liver, bladder, kidney, liver cervical and ovarian cancer.
- Parkinson’s disease.
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
- Aplastic anemia.
- Multiple myeloma.
- Neurobehavioral disorders.
- Female infertility.
- Wrongful death.
The Courthouse Doors Were Closed to Victims
Access to the courts to seek compensation for their damages from the contaminated water was another problem that confronted victims. No connection was made between the Camp Lejeune contaminated water and the above illnesses and physical conditions until many years after people were affected. The statute of limitations for seeking compensation for their damages had already run. The law wouldn’t permit them to file personal injury cases against the government.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act
It wasn’t for about 40 years that federal legislators realized that affected victims of contaminated Camp Lejeune water had no recourse. Both houses of Congress acted quickly on this issue, and on August 10, 2024, President Joe Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act into law. Veterans, their family members and civilian employees who have been affected by Camp Lejeune contaminated water can now bring their lawsuits against the federal government for their cancers, illnesses and damages. They need only have been on base for 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. Those days need not be consecutive either. Litigants are permitted to seek damages that include but aren’t limited to the following:
- Past and future medical bills.
- Past And future lost earnings.
- Any permanent disability or disfigurement.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress.
- Wrongful death.
- Any other damages permitted by law.
Claimants must file a claim with the federal government before they’ll be permitted to file their lawsuits. If a claim is denied, a Camp Lejeune Justice Act lawsuit can then be filed immediately thereafter. These are complicated lawsuits though that require the advocacy of experienced and aggressive lawyers for victims. If you believe that you or a member of your family was adversely affected by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you can contact our Camp Lejeune Justice Act lawyer here at Maison Law for a free consultation and case evaluation. We promise to listen to you carefully and answer your questions too. After that, you’ll be advised on all of your legal options. The window of opportunity on Camp Lejeune Justice Act lawsuits closes on nearly all cases on August 10, 2024. It’s unlikely that new cases will be allowed to proceed after that. Exercise due diligence and contact us here at Maison Law for that free consultation as soon as you can.
