You’ve probably heard about the water contamination in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The Marine Corps has been accused of covering up the issue for decades. Thousands of people were exposed to toxic chemicals like trichloroethylene (TCE), which can cause serious health problems, including cancer.
But how exactly does this affect you? Are you eligible to get compensated? This guide will cover everything you need to know before filing a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.
What is the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?
Camp Lejeune was a Marine Corps base in North Carolina, and it’s the site of one of the most significant military water contamination cases in history. Between 1953 and 1987, drinking water in Camp Lejeune was contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals like trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE).
The contamination affected as many as a million people, according to ATSDR, who lived or worked on base during those years, including many stationed there before 1984 when regulations around toxic waste disposal changed dramatically after an explosion killed two workers at another chemical plant nearby.
Who is eligible for the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Settlement?
You could file a claim if you were stationed at Camp Lejeune during the period listed above. Your eligibility depends on whether or not your family members have been diagnosed with one of the diseases listed in this settlement agreement.
If they haven’t been diagnosed with these illnesses, their exposure to contaminated water will not be counted as part of your claim. However, if they have been diagnosed with any of them, their exposure will be counted toward yours.
How to File a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?
If you believe that your loved one was exposed to contaminated water and died from cancer, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the government. To do so, you must first submit a claim form online or mail it in with all required documents attached. Once this is done, the VA will investigate your claim and determine whether or not Camp Lejeune water contamination settlement amounts will be paid out by them.
If your case moves past this point, it will move on to the next stage, proving liability. It means proving that Camp Lejeune’s contaminated drinking water caused harm or death for compensation claims against them to be successful.
Documentation showing how long someone lived after exposure can help strengthen this argument. If someone lived for 50 years after exposure but then developed cancer at age 75, there’s more than enough time for causality between exposure and disease onset.
When will I know if I am eligible for a settlement amount?
You will receive a letter from the Camp Lejeune Litigation Office notifying you of your eligibility for a settlement amount. The letter will contain an application form, which must be completed and returned to the Camp Lejeune Litigation Office within 90 days of receiving it.
If you return this form in time, or if there are errors, your claim may be allowed. As for the amount, according to the Lawsuit Information Center, compensation starts from as low as $200,000 for bladder cancer and goes up to $2,000,000 for congenital disabilities.
If You Were Stationed at Camp Lejeune Between 1953 and 1987, You Might Be Able to File a Lawsuit
If you served at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 and were exposed to contaminated water, you may be able to file a lawsuit. You must have been diagnosed with one of the following diseases: leukemia, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, or liver cancer.
Suppose your spouse died due to one of these diseases after being stationed at Camp Lejeune during those years and was exposed to contaminated water during their service there. In that case, their estate can also be eligible for compensation through an additional claim in your case against the government.
Conclusion
If you are interested in filing a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, you must know what to expect. Many factors will affect whether or not your case will be successful, including when you were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and any other health problems that may have developed after exposure. If someone else may have been affected by this same issue, please share this article with them so everyone can learn more about their rights.
