Camp Lejeune, located in Jacksonville, North Carolina, had highly contaminated water for a period of over 30 years. Unfortunately, the exposure to the toxic water resulted in many people developing health conditions. Many of these people died as a direct result of the health condition that they developed. In addition, many pregnant women suffered miscarriage after being exposed to the toxic water supply at the camp. If you suffered a loss of pregnancy after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you could have grounds to sue.
If you are ready to explore the legal options available to you, do not hesitate to reach out to the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers here at the Normandie Law Firm are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with the guidance that you need to file your Camp Lejeune miscarriage lawsuit. For more information about the legal options available to you, do not hesitate to contact the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.
What is Miscarriage?
Miscarriage is defined as a pregnancy loss during the first 20 weeks of the pregnancy. Typically, miscarriage is the way the body responds to a problem pregnancy (a miscarriage is likely to occur if expectant mother is exposed to dangerous chemicals or toxins that can affect the developing fetus). Without a doubt, a miscarriage can have lasting mental and emotional effects on mothers. However, miscarriages can also have physical consequences, which can include infections and injuries to reproductive organs.
A Quick Review of the Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune
Between 1953 and 1987, the water supply at Camp Lejeune was highly contaminated. The water was contaminated by Tetrachloroethylene (PCE or PERC), which is known to cause miscarriages, Trichloroethylene (TCE), vinyl chloride, and benzene. Both groundwater and well water were contaminated. The contamination came from different sources, including leaking fuel tanks, wrongly disposed industrial waste, and a nearby drycleaning business.
During this time, over one million Marines, other military service members, contractors, civilians (including non-military staff), and their families worked and lived on Camp Lejeune. All of these innocent people were exposed to contaminated water, and many of them suffered harm as a direct result of their exposure to the dangerous chemicals in the water. One of the many health consequences associated with the exposure to the contaminated water was miscarriage and loss of pregnancy.
Your Right to Sue Based on the PACT Act
If you suffered a miscarriage after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. A recent bill that was signed into law gave affected parties the right to file a lawsuit for any harm resulting from exposure to the contaminated water source at the Marine Corps camp. The bill was passed by the Senate on August 2, 2022 – it’s called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act as part of The Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. President Biden signed the bill into law on August 10, 2022. The new law gives those who suffered harm due to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune the right file a lawsuit and recover compensation. In other words, if you suffered a miscarriage because you were exposed to contaminated water, you could file a lawsuit.
You must have lived or worked at the camp for at least 30 days during the period between 1953 and 1987 to be able to file a lawsuit. Those you were dishonorably discharged are ineligible to file lawsuits.
Can I File a Lawsuit?
Even though the exposure to toxic water occurred decades ago, affected parties could file lawsuits for any harm that they suffered. You might have some of the following questions:
- Can I file a lawsuit for a loss of pregnancy after being exposed to toxic water?
- Can I file a lawsuit for miscarriage because of the toxic water at the camp?
- Can I sue if I suffered a fetal abortion after being exposed to contaminated water?
- Can I sue for fetal loss after exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune?
Yes – you could file a lawsuit if you suffered a miscarriage after being exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune. Considering that your exposure occurred decades ago, you might have some follow up questions, some of which are addressed below.
How do I show that I had a miscarriage because of exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune? You can prove that you had a miscarriage with medical records and health insurance records, for example. Even though these might be old records, the records are still likely to exist in your medical file.
Would I still be eligible if it took place many years ago? Yes – you are still eligible to sue. This is because the PACT Act gives claimants a two-year window from the date that that the bill was signed into law to file a lawsuit. Claimants have until August 2024 to file their lawsuits.
How long after contamination can I sue? It has likely been decades since you were exposed to the contaminated water supply at Camp Lejeune. However, because of the new law, you can still file your lawsuit. You have two years from August 10, 2022 to file your Camp Lejeune water contamination miscarriage lawsuit.
How do I report my miscarriage and file a lawsuit? You simply need to reach out to a lawyer to discuss the legal options available to you. Make sure that you have documents that prove you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune and had a miscarriage.
For more information about your right to file your miscarriage lawsuit, contact the experts here at the Normandie Law Firm today.
Can I Receive Compensation?
Yes – you could be eligible to receive compensation for your Camp Lejeune loss of pregnancy lawsuit. You can be eligible to recover compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability benefits, punitive damages, and legal fees, for instance. Of course, the specific type and amount of compensation that you could recover will be specifically based on the details surrounding your claim.
What is the average case value of fetal loss lawsuits and miscarriage lawsuits? This is a common question when it comes discussing the compensation that you could recover from your lawsuit. The value of these cases is based on multiple factors, including any related medical expenses, the mental and emotional toll that the loss had on the mother, whether the miscarriage affected the mother’s fertility, etc. These cases can be high value. These cases can be worth from $250,000 to $750,000. Some cases can have $1 million values. The value of your claim will be based on your specific lawsuit information. For more information about the average case value of fetal loss claims, contact us today.
How long does it take to reach a settlement? Because different claims are just starting to be filed, nothing has settled yet – so there is no average time to settle these cases yet. The settlement process can vary significantly, however. Here at our law firm, our lawyers are dedicated to helping you reach a settlement as quickly as possible. In the best-case scenario, our experts can reach a settlement within just a few months. We aim to settle all cases within 6 to 8 months; however, some cases can take up to 2 years to settle. If you are unhappy with the way that your current lawyer is handling your case (that is, if your current lawyer is taking too long to settle), you can contact us for a free second opinion. We can redirect your claim and help you get a settlement as quickly as possible.
How Long Do I Have to File My Water Contamination Miscarriage Lawsuit?
As explained above, the PACT Act gives claimants 2 years from August 2022 to file their lawsuits. This means that claimants have until August 2024 to file their lawsuits for fetal loss. If you fail to file your claim within this window of time, you could lose your right to sue for the harm that you suffered due to the exposure to the toxic water at the base camp. For more information about the statute of limitations that applies to your claim, contact us today – our lawyers will help you file your claim on time.
Contact the Normandie Law Firm Today – Our Camp Lejeune Miscarriage Lawyers are ready to Help!
Here at our law firm, our lawyers are more than ready to help you with your Camp Lejeune water contamination miscarriage claim. If you are interested in speaking with our lawyers and exploring your legal options, contact us immediately. We offer free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. Our lawyers will provide you with all the information that you need to begin or continue your Camp Lejeune pregnancy loss lawsuit. We offer a Zero-Fee guarantee, so you will not have to pay upfront legal costs for our legal services. We also work on contingency, so you will not have to pay anything until after winning your lawsuit. If you do not win, you will not pay any legal fees. Contact us today if you are ready to discuss your right to file a miscarriage lawsuit for exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune. We are ready to help.
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