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Water treatment plants that supplied water to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina from 1953 to 1987 were contaminated with extremely toxic chemicals. For over 30 years American Servicemen and their families were at risk of developing a number of dangerous illnesses as a result of the water contamination. There is currently strong evidence that chronic exposure to the toxic chemicals that contaminated Camp Lejeune has lead to an increase in cancer and other serious injuries for anyone that drank or bathed in the contaminated water. If you or someone you love has been effected by the Camp Lejeune water contamination issue, you may be entitled to compensation for past, current and future medical bills, lost wages, a loss in quality of life, and much more. The Dayes Law Firm is dedicated to fighting for the right of veterans and their families.
Original Rejection to Camp Lejeune Compensation Claims
A previous 7-2 decision by the Supreme Court in 2014 held that North Carolina’s 10-year “statute of repose” overrides the federal Superfund law. This decision meant that victims exposed to the contaminated at Camp Lejeune were barred from suing for compensation after 1997, even if they didn’t become aware of the contamination until a later date.
Thankfully for the service members and their families a new federal law – the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 – is close to being enacted. The Act would permit people who lived or worked or were harmed as unborn children at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 to file a toxic water lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Eastern North Carolina. It is important that anyone effected by the contaminated water contact Dayes Law Firm as soon as possible because of the likelihood that there will be a two-year deadline to sue from the date of the enactment.
Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune
Camp Lejeune is a large Marine Corps base and military training facility that covers nearly 250 square miles in Onslow County, North Carolina. Camp Lejeune was first opened in 1942 and has been used as both a base of operations for the Marine Corps and a military operations and training facility used by various branches of the armed forces.
Since 1942 there has been millions of service members as well as civilians who have permanently or temporarily called Camp Lejeune home. Unfortunately in the 1980’s environmental testing was done on the water used by the residents and employees at Camp Lejeune and it was found to be dangerously contaminated.
Cause of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
The Marine Corps determined that water from treatment plants near Camp Lejeune was heavily contaminated with harmful organic compounds and carcinogenic chemicals from approximately 1953 to 1987. The most troubling chemicals found were trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE).
These specific chemicals are in a dangerous class of chemicals called “volatile organic compounds” or VOC’s. These chemicals are commonly used for dry cleaning and much of the water contamination was attributed to an off-base dry cleaner that existed before Camp Lejeune was opened.
Unfortunately there was multiple sources of toxic water that contributed to the contamination at Camp Lejeune. The same chemicals that were used at the off base dry cleaner are also commonly used to clean machinery and weapons so contamination could have come from locations on and off the Camp Lejuene military base.
Chemicals in Camp Lejeune Water-Linked to Cancer
The specific chemicals that have been identified as contaminants in the water at amp Lejeune are known to be extremely toxic to the human body and have been linked to cancer, birth defects, and neurologic disorders. Medical and scientific has shown that continued exposure to TCE and or PCE chemicals can cause increased rates of certain cancers including.
- Leukemia
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune Caused Birth Defects
In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control’s Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry released the findings of a study first started in 2003. The study concluded that children born to mothers who drank the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune were four times more likely to suffer birth defects ranging from:
- Infertility
- Birth Defects
- Birth Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Cardiac Defect
- Fatty Liver Disease
- Miscarriage
- Neurobehavioral Effects
- Plastic anemia and other bone marrow conditions
- Renal Toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Hepatic Steatosis
- ALS (Lou Gerhig’s Disease)
- Parkinson’s Disease
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Attorney’s
If you or your loved ones who were stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1957 and 1987 have suffered adverse effects or illnesses, due to the water contamination do not hesitate to contact our veteran’s benefits lawyers.
You or your family member stood up for our country. Let us stand up for you and help you obtain the compensation you deserve. At Dayes Law Firm we believe that those who have been put in harms way by the negligence of others are entitled to justice. Dayes Law Firm and our partner firms have over 30 years of experience securing justice for those who need it. We proudly offer 100 percent FREE, no-obligation evaluations and only get paid when we obtain a recovery.