Camp Lejeune Water Contamination

Rows of uniformed military sailors standing at attention, seen from behind.

A Brief History and How to Take Action

History of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination

Located in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Camp Lejeune is a U.S. Marine Corps Base dedicated to training Marines and housing their families. From August 1953 to December 1987, over one million people were exposed to toxic water contamination. Despite the base issuing an order in 1974 requiring solvents to be disposed of safely, volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, were found in the water supply in 1982. Among these VOCS were perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), both of which are known carcinogens and have been linked to long-term health issues, including birth defects. For over three decades, anyone living, working, or visiting Camp Lejeune was exposed to water contaminated with toxins at levels up to 3,400 times the safety standard. Two decades passed before the government publicly acknowledged the contamination and began to identify those who may have been affected.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act

In 2005, veterans and their families began filing lawsuits alleging that they were harmed by the contaminated water on the Camp Lejeune base. The court dismissed these cases in 2016. According to the North Carolina Statute of Repose, it requires plaintiffs to file a suit within 10 years of the injury. Additionally, the Feres Doctrine bars service members from suing the government for harm they acquired during their service.

However, in 2022, the Senate passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. This act was an inclusion in a broader bill titled Honoring Our PACT Act, which sought to improve the benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins. With this bill in place, service members can now sue and recover damages from exposure to contaminated water if they visited Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days from August 1, 1953, to December 31st, 1987. As a result, over one million of those affected have received PACT Act benefits.

Qualifying Injuries and Exposure Requirements

  • Leukemia
  • Aplastic Anemia 
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes
  • Birth Defects
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Female Infertility
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Multiple Myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Renal Failure
  • Death
  • Scleroderma
  • Appendix Cancer
  • Brain Cancer
  • Bile Duct Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Gallbladder Cancer
  • Intestinal Cancer
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Sinus Cancer
  • Soft Tissue Sarcoma
  • Spinal Cancer
  • Thyroid Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Hepatic Steatosis (Fatty Liver Disease)
  • Miscarriage

In order to file a claim you must meet these requirements:

  • Served, worked, or lived at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987
  • Suffered from at least one of the conditions listed 

How Forester Haynie Can Help with Filing a Lawsuit

If you or a loved one lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987 and has been diagnosed with at least one medical condition listed above, you may be entitled to compensation.  At Forester Haynie, we believe everyone should have equal access to justice. We are here to help you assess whether you are eligible for a settlement you or your family member deserves. If you have questions, do not wait. Contact us to arrange a no-obligation case review and consultation.

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