In Early August 2022, the Senate voted to pass the Camp Lejeune Justice Act as part of the PACT Act, which would give those who suffered harm (including those who developed medical conditions and/or died) after being exposed to the contaminated water supply at Camp Lejeune grounds to file lawsuits. On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the bill into law.
Were you or a loved one harmed after being exposed to the contaminated water supply at the Marine Corps base? If so, you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. If you are interested in learning more about the legal options available to you and your family, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers here at the Normandie Law Firm are more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to file your Camp Lejeune lawsuit and recover the settlement that you are entitled to.
If you are ready to speak with our lawyers, contact us today. The Normandie Law Firm is ready to help.
About the Water Contamination in Camp Lejeune
From 1953 to 1987, the water supply at Camp Lejeune, which is located in Jacksonville, North Carolina, was highly contaminated. There were multiple sources of the contamination, including leaking fuel tanks and improperly disposed industrial waste, which resulting in contaminated groundwater and well water. In addition, a nearby dry cleaner also leaked dangerous PCE or PERC chemicals, which contributed to the contamination. Unfortunately, military leadership was made aware of the issue repeatedly, but no action was taken. Leadership was aware of the danger that everyone on the base faced, but they failed to do anything about the situation.
During this period, over one million Marines, military service members, contractors, non-military staff, civilians, and their families lived on the military base. All parties on the base were exposed to contaminated drinking water that was tainted by multiple toxic chemicals, including the following:
- Tetrachloroethylene (PCE or PERC)
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Vinyl Chloride
- Benzene
The exposure to these dangerous toxins in the water at Camp Lejeune left innocent parties with some of the following harm:
- 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
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
If you suffered from any of the medical conditions listed above or if a loved one died after developing any of the medical conditions listed above, you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. Do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible. Our toxic water contamination lawyers are ready to help you understand your rights.
Do I Have the Right to File a Water Contamination Lawsuit?
Yes – you could have grounds to file a lawsuit. If you were stationed at the camp or lived at the camp between 1953 and 1987 for a minimum of 30 days, then you could have grounds to file a lawsuit under the new law. The right to sue is available to veterans, civilians that lived on the base, contractors that worked on the base, any pregnant women that miscarried, non-military staff, and the families of any deceased victims, for example. For more information about your right to file a lawsuit for the harm that you or your family suffered after being exposed to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, do not hesitate to reach out to the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.
Dishonorable Discharges and the Right to Sue – Unfortunately, anyone who was dishonorably discharged in addition to the family of anyone dishonorably discharged will likely be ineligible to file a claim under the new law.
Can I be Compensated if My Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit is Successful?
Yes – you could have grounds to recover compensation. The parties who file a lawsuit under the new PACT law can potentially recover compensation for some of the following:
- Medical costs
- Disability benefits
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Costs of mental health services, including counseling
- Legal costs
The specific type of compensation that you could be eligible to receive will be strictly based on the details surrounding your lawsuit.
What is the average case value associated with these claims? This is a very common question. The average value of these cases varies based on the case details. In fact, the value of your lawsuit will be specifically based on the facts surrounding your situation, including the type of condition that developed, the specific harm suffered, the total medical costs incurred, and the total lost wages resulting from the harm suffered, for instance.
How long does it take to settle these cases? Questions about how long it can take to get paid on these cases are very common. After all, whether you have already started the legal process or you are thinking of starting the legal process, you will likely want information about how long you can expect to wait for a settlement. The time that it can take to reach a settlement for these cases can vary significantly. Some cases can take just a few months while others can take years. Here at the Normandie Law Firm, our lawyers are dedicated to helping you settle your Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit within a reasonable time.
The Statute of Limitations to File for Injuries Caused by Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune
It is common for claimants to find themselves asking how long do I have to file a lawsuit? In general, government claims (claims filed against government entities) are subject to a strict 6-month statute of limitations, or timeline to sue. However, this is not the case with Camp Lejeune water contamination injury lawsuits or wrongful death lawsuits. The new PACT law that gives affected parties the right to sue also gives claimants a two-year window (from the date that the bill was signed and became law) to file their lawsuits with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This means that claimants will have up to August 2024 to file their lawsuits for harm resulting from exposure to the contaminated water supply at Camp Lejeune. For more information about the deadline that applies to your lawsuit, contact the experts here at our law firm as soon as possible.
How Do I File a Case for Harm Resulting from Exposure to Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune?
To prepare to file a case for injuries or wrongful death due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you should consider the following recommendations:
- Collect all relevant medical records
- Collect records of lost income resulting from the harm suffered
- Gather any other relevant documents to prove that you or your loved one lived at or worked at the base (including military records, health insurance records, paystubs, etc.)
- Seek legal assistance from an experienced water contamination lawyer as soon as possible
It is important to note that the exposure to the contaminated water occurred from 1953 to 1987; therefore, it could be very difficult to prove that you or a loved one suffered harm after being exposed to the toxic water. Here at our law firm, our toxic water injury lawyers are ready to help you prepare to file your lawsuit and guide you every step of the way.
We Offer Free Case Reviews
Here at our law firm, we are proud to offer free case reviews. You will find our experienced lawyers in water contamination injuries ready to evaluate your case and help you understand the legal options available to you and your family. To benefit from a free case review, contact us today.
We Offer Free Second Opinions
Even if you have already started your lawsuit elsewhere, our experts can still help you. If you are unhappy with the way that things are going or you would just like to get another opinion, you can trust our lawyers to evaluate your claim and provide you with an objective case review. If you decide to switch lawyers and allow us to handle your claim, then we will handle the process of switching legal representation. To benefit from a free second opinion, contact us today.
Contact the Experts at the Normandie Law Firm
The lawyers at the Normandie Law Firm have decades of experience handling a variety of claims, including injury claims and wrongful death claims stemming from exposure to water contaminated with dangerous chemicals. If you or a loved one suffered harm after being exposed to contaminated water at the Camp Lejeune Marine base, you could sue and recover compensation. You can trust that our lawyers are more than ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to file your Camp Lejeune lawsuit.
You can benefit from our free consultations and free second opinions – you can trust that our lawyers can provide you with absolutely all the information that you need to begin or continue your claim. These are part of our Zero-Fee guarantee, meaning that our clients will never be required to pay upfront legal costs for our legal services. In addition, we work on contingency; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay anything until winning their claims. If you do not win, you will not pay anything.
If you are ready to speak to one of our lawyers about your right to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, do not hesitate to contact our firm at your earliest convenience.
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