Maison Law is representing victims across the U.S. who experienced serious health issues after exposure to toxic water while living, working, or serving at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Victims and their families may have settled in other states or across the world. Maison Law is prepared to secure settlement money for victims no matter where they live.
Contact us today for a free legal consultation if you or a loved one developed cancer or other serious health problems after coming in contact with Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water between 1953 and 1987.
What Our Clients Say
Camp Lejeune Justice Act Passed to Provide Support to Toxic Water Victims
Patients suffering harm after their exposure to polluted well water at Camp Lejeune received positive news when The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) was passed in August of 2022.
The act removed many legal obstacles for victims and their families hoping to seek compensation after suffering from major health issues. Settlement compensation is available by filing a claim against the U.S. Department of Defense.
To be eligible to file, affected victims must show 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.
Many victims didn’t live long enough to seek justice for the harm they were subjected to, but their families can file wrongful death claims on their behalf and secure settlement money.
Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water Victims Living Across the U.S.
An estimated one million people may have come in contact with Camp Lejeune’s polluted water during the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Those victims may have since moved from North Carolina to other places in the United States or in other nations.
Those in the military may have been transferred to Marine Corp Bases in other states such as Camp Pendleton in Southern California or Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Some may have served in Marine Corps Base Okinawa. Some veterans may have retired around these bases or moved elsewhere to settle down with their families.
Maison Law is ready to help victims in all 50 states and across the world earn their fair share of critical support. Below is some additional information for veterans and civilians living in individual states and on military bases around the globe:
Am I Eligible to File a Claim Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act?
It’s not just service members who are eligible to file a Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claim. Thousands of military family members living on base were potentially exposed to toxic chemicals in the water. Thousands of civilian workers may also have suffered harm.
Anyone living on, working at, or visiting the base during the qualifying years may have inhaled toxins or had physical contact with chemicals while taking baths, washing dishes, or performing their duties at Camp Lejeune.
Claimants eligible to seek benefits from the U.S. government include the following:
- Former Marine Corps, Reserve and National Guard members, and other military personnel.
- Military family members who resided in Camp Lejeune housing.
- Children born to mothers who were exposed to Camp Lejeune water.
- Civilian employees.
- Guardians for Camp Lejeune victims.
- Families filing on behalf of deceased loved ones.
Camp Lejeune victims living in the U.S. and across the world shouldn’t be left to wonder if they are eligible to receive support. Schedule a free and confidential consultation with a skilled Nationwide Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawyer.
It’s a no-risk way to find out if your family is eligible for benefits from the U.S. Government and how much your case may be worth. Contact us to take advantage of this chance to speak with a real lawyer about your case and to get all of your questions answered.
How Did the Water at Camp Lejeune Become Contaminated?
In 1982, toxic substances were detected in two wells used on Camp Lejeune. The two involved were the Tarawa Terrace water treatment plant and the Hadnot Point water treatment plant. The two water wells were closed permanently in 1985.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reports that several chemicals had been present in the water supply for 35 years or more. The chemicals trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, and benzene were four substances that caused major concern. These chemicals are known to have toxic effects on animals and humans.
It’s believed that toxic chemicals from a dry-cleaning business that opened near the Marine Corps Base in 1953 caused some of the contamination. On-base sources included leaking underground storage tanks, industrial area spills, and waste disposal sites also contributed.
What Health Problems Are Linked to Camp Lejeune’s Polluted Water?
The CDC has the latest information on medical research into the possible health effects of exposure to these toxins. Studies have already shown strong links to serious and life-threatening conditions for those exposed.
Many types of cancers have been attributed to contact with chemically tainted water at Camp Lejeune. Those exposed show a higher risk of certain nervous system diseases and brain disorders. The chemicals are also associated with many birth defects and reproductive issues.
This is only a partial list of the serious health problems associated with the dangerous water issues present for almost 35 years:
- Aplastic anemia
- Bladder cancer
- Breast Cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver Cancer
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS)
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Cardiac defects
- End-stage renal disease
- Kidney disease
- Oral cleft defect
- Soft tissue sarcoma
Research continues into the potential effects of ingestion and contact with these harmful substances. But victims should know many different types of illnesses, not just the ones listed here, can earn compensation from the federal government.
Your Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Attorney would immediately begin investigating your case and gathering medical records from decades back if necessary. This evidence would show how your ailment appeared after your contact with contaminated water and would make you eligible to receive support.
Finding Important Documents for Your Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claim
Patients will want to be ready with medical documentation of their diagnosis and invoices showing treatment costs.
These documents will help prove that you or a loved one served, worked, or lived on Camp Lejeune during the qualifying period:
- Military service records.
- Records of disability and VA benefits.
- Past paystubs.
- All medical charts and receipts past and present.
- Birth certificates.
You may feel overwhelmed by the task of tracking down past medical and service records for yourself or your parents from over many decades. Your lawyer is also prepared to locate this vital paperwork and online information for you.
How Can I Secure Documents Proving My Parents Were at Camp Lejeune?
The federal government permits the next of kin of military veterans to obtain copies of the official military personnel file (OMPF) of their father or mother. There may be a small charge for retrieving these records depending on how far back they go. You can begin the process of requesting service records from the National Archives here.
Securing work and medical records for a deceased family member who may be eligible for a Toxic Water Settlement can prove challenging. Some of these records may go back 70 years or more.
It’s your Camp Lejeune Justice Act Lawyer’s duty to fully research your case and locate all supporting evidence. Your lawyer handles the difficult research to track down every document that may help increase the compensation your family receives.
What Can I Get Camp Lejeune Injury Compensation For?
Many devastating illnesses have already cost Camp Lejeune victims decades of difficult and expensive medical care. Victims may have already suffered through years of surgeries, chemotherapy, and other debilitating treatments.
At the same time, victims may have missed months or years at work or had to retire over the effects of a serious illness. Without regular paychecks, many victims have had very little chance to pay toward their hospital and doctor bills.
The emotional toll of such difficult recoveries or permanent disabilities is also a very real cost of the damages that ingesting toxic water causes.
This is why it’s so critical that Camp Lejeune victims seek full compensation for every hardship they and their families have endured. They should not sign off on any settlement that is less than fair. These expenses and non-economic damages have been left at the feet of victims for too long.
These are just a few of the factors that should play a large role in the settlement amounts victims receive:
- Current and future medical bills and support for past healthcare costs going back as far as necessary.
- Wrongful death benefits. The families of Camp Lejeune toxic water victims who have tragically passed on should seek full reimbursement for a loved one’s medical costs built up while they were alive. Reimbursement for funeral and burial costs should also be provided. Support must be granted for the loss of guidance and income the deceased was no longer able to provide to loved ones in the future.
- Support for the physical pain a victim endures during recovery.
- Support for the emotional trauma patients endure. Compensation for the anxiety and depression that often follows a change in lifestyle due to a debilitating illness.
- A loss of consortium (loss of intimacy with a partner).
- A loss of enjoyment of life. The inability to participate in favorite hobbies and family activities.
- Loss of earnings and work benefits while patients are unable to perform their job duties. Lifetime support when victims are forced to give up their careers or military service over health issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Until August 10, 2024. The statute of limitations is set at two years from the date the Camp Lejeune Justice Act passed. It was signed into law on August 10, 2022.
No. Alerting a CLJA lawyer to your potential claim gives your attorney time to investigate your case and build strong evidence in your favor. Allow your attorney as much time as possible to secure the most for your claim.
You won’t need any money to hire our lawyers. We work on a contingency fee. It means that you don’t pay any attorney fee unless we win your case for you. The fee would come out of the compensation you received.
Contact a Nationwide Camp Lejeune Justice Act Lawyer
Victims of the toxic water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina may have continued to serve in other states or across the globe. Their families may have retired or moved outside of North Carolina. Maison Law has made itself available to represent and provide focused legal assistance to all victims of diseases, disorders, and cancers experienced after time spent at Camp Lejeune.
Maison Law is also able to compassionately represent families forced to grieve the loss of loved ones who served, lived, or worked at Camp Lejeune. Contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free and confidential case consultation for you and your family.
Mr. Gasparian founded Maison Law so that regular people facing off against large corporations or government entities would have a voice when seeking support for what they’ve been put through.
