Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawyer

Camp Lejeune is a base camp for the United States Marine Corps in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Several different units, including marine expeditionary forces, have used the camp. However, between the 1950s and 1980s, service members and their families, civilian contractors, and other employees at the camp unknowingly suffered exposure to several toxic chemicals that contaminated water used for drinking, bathing, cooking on the base.

Under a new federal law, people who lived at the camp during a specific time period could be eligible to file a claim with the help of a skilled attorney. If you or a loved one suffered health issues after being stationed at Camp Lejeune, it is crucial to understand that you have legal options for getting the compensation you need and deserve. A Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyer will work with you to determine if your family is eligible to file a claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 and help you take the next steps.

What Happened at Camp Lejeune?

During environmental testing in the early 1980s, consultants determined that the water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated at dangerously high levels. There was more than one source for the contamination. The pollution came from solvents and chemicals from a nearby dry-cleaning company. It also came from local base water treatment facilities, waste disposal sites, underground storage tanks, and industrial spills.

The government shut down the water wells serving the base in 1985, but not before thousands of people had been exposed to these toxic chemicals. Anyone who suspects that exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune caused them to develop health issues should get in touch with an attorney right away to review their options for filing a claim.

Health Problems from Camp Lejeune Contamination

Health officials have found links between many different chemical compounds found in the water at Camp Lejeune and disease. Some of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) found at Camp Lejeune are known carcinogens, which means they cause cancer. Other chemicals have been linked to elevated risks of other injurious health effects  and debilitating illnesses.

Some of the most common health effects relating to water contamination at the camp are as follows:

• Esophageal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Leukemia
• Breast cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Multiple myeloma
• Scleroderma
• Kidney function problems
• Liver function problems
• Infertility and miscarriage

People who lived at the camp for at least 30 days during the period between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and developed one of the above-listed illnesses or any other related illnesses might be eligible to receive compensation for their injuries. Families of injured servicemen are eligible for compensation even the serviceman or woman has been deceased for many years. People who were in utero during the qualifying period are also eligible.

Contact a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Attorney Today

If you or a member of your family lived at Camp Lejeune and later developed a health condition that you believe is related to the contaminated water, you deserve fair and prompt compensation for the losses you suffered. Our dedicated attorneys at McDermott & Hickey are ready to review your claim. Call today to set up a free consultation with a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyer.