PRACTICE AREAS / PERSONAL INJURY, MEDICAL MALPRACTICE AND WRONGFUL DEATH
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
Those residing or working at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 are presumed to have consumed contaminated water.
Are you eligible to make a claim? Answer the Free Case Evaluation Questionnaire below to find out within minutes.
Our Firm’s Experience with Camp Lejeune
Over one million veterans, civilians, and other persons residing or working at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987 may have been exposed to dangerous water contamination. Lewis & Roberts has decades of experience litigating environmental cases, groundwater contamination cases, and similar civil actions. We know the best experts, we understand the science, and we know the law.
Because of this background, Lewis & Roberts is among the leaders in Camp Lejeune litigation in North Carolina. We have been retained by numerous persons injured by the water at Camp Lejeune, and we filed some of the first civil actions under the new Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022.
If you want us to put decades of experience to work for you, just answer the Free Case Evaluation Questionnaire above. Within minutes, you will know if you are eligible to pursue a claim for injury resulting from the water contamination at Camp Lejeune.
What is Camp Lejeune?
Camp Lejeune is a United States Marine Corps Base located on 246 square miles of land in Jacksonville, North Carolina. The base was established in 1941 and serves as a training ground for amphibious combat.
Millions of veterans and civilians have lived or worked at Camp Lejeune. These individuals drank, cooked with, bathed in, or swam in the water at Camp Lejeune.
The Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune
In 1982, it was discovered that two of the eight on-base water treatment plants at Camp Lejeune were contaminated by cancer-causing chemicals. Scientific and medical evidence has shown a link between people exposed to these chemicals during their time at Camp Lejeune and the development of serious health issues. The two contaminated wells were:
Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant – this well was located in the north/northeastern part of Camp Lejeune, near the intersection of Highways 24 and 17. The contamination at the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant stemmed from the waste disposal practices of a nearby off-base dry-cleaning company called ABC One-Hour Cleaners. This well was located in the north/northeastern part of Camp Lejeune, near the intersection of Highways 24 and 17. The contamination at the Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant stemmed from the waste disposal practices of a nearby off-base dry-cleaning company called ABC One-Hour Cleaners.
Hadnot Point Treatment Plant – this well was located near the central part of Camp Lejeune, on the eastern bank of the New River. The contamination of the Hadnot Point Treatment Plant stemmed from several sources, such as industrial waste spills, underground storage tanks, and waste disposal sites around Camp Lejeune.
These two contaminated wells were closed in 1985. However, by that point, the damage was done—veterans, civilians, workers, and their families had already been exposed to substantial amounts of volatile organic compounds in the water at Camp Lejeune. In fact, groundwater modeling reveals that these contaminants existed at danger levels as far back as 1953. Thousands of cases of birth defects, cancer diagnoses, and degenerative conditions were a direct result of the staggering levels of water contamination at Camp Lejeune.
What Contaminants Were in the Water at Camp Lejeune?
Shockingly, there were high levels of multiple cancer-causing contaminants in the water at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987. These toxic substances included volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as:
• Benzene – a highly flammable constituent of crude oil;
• Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or PCE – a dry cleaning agent;
• Trans 1,2-dichloroethylene, also known as DEC – a solvent, degreaser or wetting agent;
• Trichloroethylene, also known as TCE – a metal degreaser;
• Vinyl chloride – used to make polyvinyl chloride (i.e., PVC) for plastic products such as pipes, wire and cable coatings.
What Health Defects or Bodily Injuries Commonly Resulted from the Contamination at Camp Lejeune?
Exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune caused numerous different health defects or bodily injuries to adults, children, and fetuses. Many of these health issues have or can result in death. If you or a loved one were exposed to contaminated groundwater at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987 and have experienced any of the following health issues, you should contact Lewis & Roberts for a free case evaluation:
Major Health Conditions of People Exposed to Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune:
• Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
• Bladder cancer
• Breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Hodgkins disease
• Cervical cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver/biliary cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Neurological effects (delayed reaction time problems with short-term memory, visual perception, attention and color vision)
Children Exposed in the Womb from Mother Exposed to Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune:
• Leukemia
• Small for gestational age
• Low birth weight
• Fetal death
• Major heart defects
• Neural tube defects
• Oral cleft defects (including cleft lip)
• Chronal atresia (nasal passages blocked with bone or tissue)
• Eye defects
• Miscarriage
• Major malformations
This is only a partial list of the health defects and bodily injuries that were caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Also, these symptoms may vary amongst those exposed depending on the length of time individuals were exposed to Camp Lejeune water contamination. If you or a loved one have a health defect or injury and were exposed to contaminated groundwater at Camp Lejeune, you should contact Lewis & Roberts for a free case consultation.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act
Unfortunately, people injured or killed by contaminated groundwater at Camp Lejeune have struggled to obtain compensation for their injuries due to legal bars such as sovereign immunity and the statute of repose. However, on August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act which is a part of the Honoring Our PACT Act gives medical assistance and benefits to individuals impacted by the chemicals in the water, in addition to setting up a financial account to finance the detoxification of the camp. This Act finally gives persons injured or killed by contaminated groundwater at Camp Lejeune their day in court and the possibility to seek compensation.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act provides a cause of action to an individual, including a veteran, or that person's estate, who resided, worked, or was otherwise exposed (including in utero exposure) to water at Camp Lejeune that was supplied by or on behalf of the United States. The individual must have been exposed for not less than 30 days during the period beginning on August 1, 1953 and ending on December 31, 1987.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury after being exposed to water at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more during the period of August 1, 1953 through December 31, 1987, you may be eligible to assert a legal claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. Contact our Camp Lejeune attorneys for help.
Camp Lejeune Settlement: What Should You Do?
If you or a loved one developed cancer or another disease as a result of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you should immediately seek legal representation. Lewis & Roberts has decades of experience litigating environmental cases, groundwater contamination cases, and similar civil actions. If you want us to put decades of experience to work for you, just click the Free Case Evaluation Questionnaire at the top of the page. Within minutes, you will know if you are eligible to pursue a claim for injury resulting from the water contamination at Camp Lejeune. Contact the Camp Lejeune Lawyers at Lewis & Roberts if you have any questions about the Camp Lejeune Justice Act and what it may mean for you or your family.