For over three decades starting in the 1950s and continuing well into the 1980s, U.S. servicemembers, civilian workers, and their family members who lived or worked at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, were exposed to dangerously contaminated water. While this water was being used for everything from drinking and cooking to bathing and cleaning, it contained more than 70 toxic chemicals at levels up to 3,400 times higher than deemed safe for humans.
What makes the scenario all the more upsetting is that the U.S. government was well aware that the water on base was unsafe after tests conducted by military chemists as early as 1980, but the wells weren’t shut down until 1985.
Further testing revealed the contamination levels to be among the highest ever seen in any public water system in the country, despite the military’s assurances at the time that the water was safe.
This failure on the part of the government to protect our servicemembers has had serious consequences on the health and lives of an estimated one million Americans.
If you or someone you love lived, worked, or trained at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, regardless of where you may be living now, you may be eligible for compensation.
What Health Problems Did Camp Lejeune’s Toxic Water Cause?
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) own research, people who spent at least 30 days (including non-consecutively) at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987 are at a significantly higher risk of developing many potentially deadly diseases, including many forms of cancer, neurobehavioral conditions, and an increased risk of female infertility, miscarriage, and birth defects.
What is the Camp Lejeune Justice Act/Honoring Our PACT Act?
The Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act was signed into law on August 10, 2022. This law expands VA healthcare and benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins, including those in the water at Camp Lejeune, and finally opens the path forward for families who have been suffering for decades to get the justice they deserve.
Who Can Get Healthcare Benefits?
Veterans and their family members who lived at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987 are eligible for compensation for out-of-pocket healthcare costs related to any of the following conditions:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
Who Can Get Disability Benefits?
Veterans, reservists, and guardsmen who served at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987 are eligible for disability benefits from the VA if they were diagnosed with any of the following conditions:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
We Help Military Members and Their Families with Receiving the Benefits They’re Owed
Situated as close as we are to Ft Moore (formerly Ft Benning) in Georgia, the Law Offices of Gary Bruce have plenty of experience helping members of the U.S. military and their dependents when they need to file injury claims. However, our services aren’t limited to the fine folks at Ft Moore (formerly Ft Benning), either. We’ve helped armed forces members across the country and stationed around the world.
If you or someone you love served at Camp Lejeune for at least cumulative 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987, you are likely eligible for compensation if the toxic water harmed you.
Cancer is an insidious disease, and it can tear apart people’s lives and livelihoods. If your cancer diagnosis or other health condition is linked to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune, we want to help you get the justice you’ve deserved for so long. Reach out today to learn how we can get your claim started.