Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Attorney

We are a Florida-based personal injury law firm with a national practice helping victims of water contamination at Camp Lejeune.

Camp Lejeune is a long-standing U.S. Marine and Naval base located in North Carolina. For many veterans, families, and workers it was home during a period that involved significant exposure to toxins from various water contaminants. As a result, many of those individuals now suffer or suffered from horrific medical conditions. While recent legislation and old compensation programs through the VA are available, our Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyers are here to offer their guidance in collecting owed compensation on the behalf of those injured.

The CDC and other government sources confirmed the existence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in two of Camp Lejeune’s water treatment plants. Reports from the testing showed that the following contaminants were in the water over the course of approximately three decades (from November 1957 to February 1987):

• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
• Vinyl chloride
• Benzene
• Dichloroethylene
• Other contaminants

The contaminated water sources on the base serviced the housing areas and other facilities for marines, their families, and others who worked or stayed there. The source of water contamination was multifaceted and included leaking storage tanks, industrial area spills, and waste disposal sites.

The contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune resulted in a wide range of serious medical conditions that affected Marine and Naval personnel, residents, and civilian workers. The list of medical conditions possibly connected to the contamination includes, among others:

• A variety of cancers (kidney, liver, ovarian, stomach, leukemias, multiple myeloma, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, etc.)
• Adverse birth outcomes that include miscarriages, birth defects, and infertility
• Neurological conditions like ALS and Parkinson’s Disease
• Hepatic steatosis
• Renal toxicity

Those who suffer(ed) from the medical conditions listed above and were stationed at Camp Lejeune during the contamination period may have viable legal claims for compensation and benefits. Rulings from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and federal legislation have created presumptions of service connections for VA benefits and rights of action for others exposed to the contaminants. Our lawyers are available to assist clients in navigating the process of obtaining any rights to the compensation they may have, which we explain in more detail below.

Like other medical conditions connected to a veteran’s service, the VA provides disability benefits to qualifying service members. Currently, the VA has established a presumptive service connection for veterans who developed any of the following diseases based on current scientific and medical evidence:

• Adult leukemia
• Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Parkinson’s disease

The benefit of the presumption is that veterans do not have to prove their service connection so long as they have one of these listed conditions and meet the other eligibility requirements discussed below. Even if a veteran does not have one of the listed diseases, they may still have valid claims for VA disability benefits if they suffer from other health conditions and have connections to Camp Lejeune. Consider a consultation with one of our Camp Lejeune lawyers if you are unsure about qualifying for disability benefits related to an unlisted medical condition.

While disability benefits may not be available to all because of the water contamination, the Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 offers cost-free healthcare to eligible veterans. Under this law, the healthcare benefits extend to cover a wider range of medical conditions including:

• Esophageal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Renal toxicity
• Female infertility
• Scleroderma
• Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Lung cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Leukemia
• Myelodysplastic syndrome
• Hepatic steatosis
• Miscarriage
• Neurobehavioral effects

In addition to existing veteran benefits, recent federal legislation also offers recourse for veterans and others who suffered because of medical conditions arising from exposure to the water contamination at Camp Lejeune. On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the PACT Act, which expands benefits to veterans and their families. The new law also incorporated a bipartisan bill that specifically addresses the harms of the water contamination at Camp Lejeune (the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022).

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 also created a private cause of action (i.e., a Camp Lejeune lawsuit) for those injured by the water contamination. The lawsuits will be heard in the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of North Carolina and will likely include defendants who may be responsible and liable for damages, including:

• Camp Lejeune and the federal government
• The groups that operated the water treatment facilities
• The nearby business and industries that likely contributed to contaminating the water

The Act limits potential plaintiffs to have 10 years to file a claim from the date they knew or had reason to know of the cause of their injury or death (in the case of a wrongful death lawsuit). It is important to meet with one of our Camp Lejeune attorneys as soon as possible to preserve your right to file a lawsuit if you think you might qualify as a plaintiff.

To be eligible for the various benefits and compensation related to a Camp Lejeune lawsuit, a veteran or other injured person must meet the following criteria:

• A person must have resided at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days (this can be continuous or non-continuous) during the qualifying period (i.e., August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987).
• A person must have suffered some injury causally connected to the water contamination (i.e., adverse health or a medical condition such as the ones listed above).

Whittel & Melton is a personal injury firm bringing years of experience, knowledge, and skill when it comes to personal injury legal claims involving the negligence and malfeasance of both private and public actors. Our Camp Lejeune attorneys help clients navigate the complex legal system to obtain justice for past wrongdoings in the form of financial compensation. We help with document collection, settlement negotiation, and all phases of litigation where necessary. If you have any questions about Camp Lejeune water contamination claims for yourself or your loved one, please consider a free consultation with our office.

Contact us to schedule a free consultation with one of our Camp Lejeune Lawyers.

Our lawyers at Whittel & Melton are now taking on cases for victims of Camp Lejeune who were exposed to toxic chemicals and water contamination while on the military base. The years of death and suffering by the people on this base are horrendous, and now those victims will finally be able to get a reasonable amount of money to compensate them for all their losses.

If you have a potential Camp Lejeune lawsuit, we urge you to get in touch with us for a free consultation at 866-608-5529 or contact us online 24/7.

We will never charge you any fees unless we are able to recover financial compensation for the harm that you had to endure.

The public water supply at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina was found to be contaminated with toxic chemicals for more than 30 years, specifically from 1953 to 1987. This translates to over a million soldiers and their families drinking and bathing in water contaminated with dry cleaning fluids, industrial solvents lead, fuel, benzene, mercury, and other toxic wastes. Because of this, thousands of marines and their family members have suffered serious illness – cancers and even injuries to children while in utero – and have died.

On Wednesday, Aug. 10, President Joe Biden signed the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 into law, which now allows for all military veterans and families that suffered harm from the toxic water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina to proceed with against the federal government.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, is just one part of the comprehensive PACT Act, that focuses on four decades of toxic water exposure at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base.

There is now a two-year window of time from the date of signing (8/10/2022) for those injured from the contaminated Camp Lejeune water to pursue financial compensation through a lawsuit filed only with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

This new opportunity for legal action can help all those affected by the contaminated Camp Lejeune water to recoup disability benefits, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This act is also unique in that it allows for injured claimants to seek financial compensation for counseling and other mental health services that were previously barred from monetary awards.

The numbers are shocking: around 900,000 people were assigned to Camp Lejeune while the federal government was dumping toxins in the water supply. It is believed that 500,000 of people that were assigned to this base are still alive. The sad truth is that most of them have developed serious illnesses as a result of the contaminated water.

There are two treatment plants that were found to be the culprit for water contamination at Camp Lejeune: the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant and the Hadnot Point Treatment Plant.

The Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant was found to have contaminants from perchloroethylene (PCE), an uncolored liquid that is usually used for dry cleaning. The source of the contamination was linked to an off-base dry-cleaning company. The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry found that the PCE levels at the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant far exceeded the normal levels between 1957 and 1987.

The Hadnot Point Treatment Plant was linked to contaminants from trichloroethylene (TCE), a vaporous anesthetic traced back to industrial area spills, underground storage tank leaks, and water disposal sites.

If you served at Camp Lejeune, specifically between 1953 and 1987, and then found out you have a serious health condition, then you may be eligible to join a class action lawsuit. We urge you to contact our lawyers at Whittel & Melton now at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a free consultation to find out how we can help you.

If you have suffered from any of the following that can be linked back to Camp Lejeune’s water contamination, we may be able to help you obtain a monetary award for your suffering:

• Bladder cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Lymphomas
• Esophageal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Lung cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Breast cancer
• Brain cancer
• Internal organ damage
• Renal toxicity
• Multiple myeloma
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Hepatic steatosis
• Scleroderma
• Cardiac Defects
• Tooth loss
• Tooth decay
• Female infertility
• Miscarriage
• Still birth
• Neural tube defects
• Oral cleft defects (cleft lip)
• Low birth weight
• Childhood hematopoietic cancers
• Declining memory
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dementia
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Fatigue
• Poor motor functions
• Insomnia
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Hyperactivity
• Anxiety
• Fear of being injured

The Centers for Disease Control’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry released a report in 2013 concluding what they started in 2003. This study was centered on children who were born to mothers who drank the toxic water at Camp Lejeune. The study found that these children were four times more likely to suffer from certain birth defects, like spina bifida, as well as an elevated risk for leukemia and other childhood cancers.

If you think your child’s medical condition can be attributed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, then we urge you to call us now at 866-608-5529 or contact us online 24/7.

The Hadnot Point Water Treatment Plant at Camp Lejeune produced 12 pounds of elemental mercury in September 2012. The water plant was shut down several weeks to clean up the mercury.

Officials have linked the mercury contamination to water pressure meters containing elemental mercury that were removed from the plant in the 1980s.

Mercury exposure can produce the following side effects in humans:

• Coughing
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Metallic taste in mouth
• Vision problems
• Sore throat
• High blood pressure

Sadly, pregnant women and new moms can pass these high mercury levels on to their unborn and newborn babies. Similarly, younger children have smaller lungs and breathe faster than adults so they are more likely to suffer the adverse effects of breathing in mercury vapors.

If you think your loved one has suffered an illness linked to being exposed to mercury at Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible to file a claim for financial compensation. Our legal team at Whittel & Melton can help you determine what steps to take next so that you can achieve justice.

If you or a family member was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1957 and 1987, and you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days, and then suffered an illness or injury that you think is a direct link to toxic water, then we strongly recommend that you contact us to find out if you are eligible for financial compensation. Likewise, all former or present military or civilian, as well as their families, are eligible.

You served our country and deserve to be rightfully compensated for being placed in harm’s way by the negligence of the federal government. Call us now at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a FREE consultation.