You have legal options if you or a family member developed a severe health condition after exposure to dangerous chemicals in the water at Camp Lejeune. Healthcare professionals have linked these chemicals to numerous illnesses, including many forms of cancer.
A Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyer can step in to help you file a lawsuit or seek compensation through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Our team at White Law PLLC provides comprehensive assistance to veterans and their families in Michigan.
Do You Need a Lawyer for Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims?
Members of the armed forces and their families have experienced health issues due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune for decades. However, until recently, it’s been challenging for affected individuals to seek compensation for their losses.
All claims went through VA for many years, limiting the funds available to cover medical expenses and other losses. However, new options became available when President Biden signed the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act into law.
Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyers can help you review all the legal options now available to resolve your claim. Lawyers also help you stand up to powerful agencies that could deny your claim.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
Why Are People Filing Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims?
For decades, service members, civil workers, contractors, and their families living and working at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were exposed to contaminated drinking water.
Doctors have linked the toxins to several severe health conditions, including cancer. Although those affected suffered tremendous losses and expenses, the courts in North Carolina barred them from seeking financial recovery from the federal government.
However, on August 10, 2022, that all changed when the President signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) as part of the PACT Act. The Act gives contaminated water victims the right to initiate litigation against the federal government to pursue compensation for damages.
We’re not just lawyers. We’re passionate advocates who will ensure that your voice is heard and your rights are protected.
Why Choose Us to Handle Your Camp Lejeune Claim?
At White Law PLLC, we are relieved to see that the brave men and women who have served our country finally get the chance to have their day in court and seek justice.
Our Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyers in Okemos would be honored to stand by their sides, providing the steadfast legal counsel they need to file a claim. We have extensive experience and have handled thousands of cases, including high-profile matters.
Your benefits could be denied for several reasons. Usually this issue is that your application fails to include proper evidence of necessary elements. However, many claims are denied solely because of improper formatting or failure to use correct forms. Leveraging our knowledge and skills, we can help you navigate the legal system and work toward recovering the compensation you need and deserve.
When working with us, you can take advantage of these unique qualities:
We Put People First
We believe your needs should represent our priority when we take on your claim. You work directly with your attorney when you hire us, and we stick with you throughout the entirety of your claim. We personalize our legal services to meet your needs.
Years of Proven Experience
We have extensive knowledge of the law surrounding contaminated water cases. Members of our team come from diverse legal backgrounds, giving them a comprehensive understanding of methods to resolve your claim.
Adoption of the Latest Technologies
Our team believes in utilizing technological advancements to help clients in your situation. New communication technology helps us stay connected to you. You can contact us remotely and look at your case files easily to monitor your case.
We understand that you may be going through a difficult situation and we are ready to help however we can.
Who Can File a Camp Lejeune Injury Claim?
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act provides that individuals may seek relief if exposure to the water on the base harmed them. It even covers in-utero exposure. Anyone who lived, worked, or was otherwise exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days can initiate a claim.
The Act applies to people who were on the Base between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
To obtain a remedy, the individual must demonstrate a link between the toxic water exposure and the health condition they developed. The burden of proof may be satisfied by providing scientific evidence showing that exposure to the toxins is associated with the harm suffered.
You will always work directly with your attorney throughout your case.
How do I File a Claim for Camp Lejeune Water Contamination?
You may file a VA claim to seek compensation for injuries caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. In order to file this kind of claim as a veteran, you must provide documentary evidence to show that:
- You served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for a minimum of 30 days
- You served between August 1953 and December 1987
- You served on active duty or in the Reserves or Guard
- You developed an illness on the presumptive conditions list
Documents can include medical records or reports from a doctor. In addition, your service record can provide documentation regarding when you served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River.
You may also apply for VA benefits as a family member of a veteran. Expect to provide similar documentation during your application, which you can complete online, in person, or with the help of an accredited representative.
However, you have options beyond VA benefits with the passing of the PACT Act. Learn more about the choices before you with our personal injury lawyers.
How do You File a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit?
Due to the PACT Act, you now have the right to file a lawsuit for your losses. Our Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyers can help you with this process.
Previously, North Carolina’s strict legal limitations prevented filing a claim. Now you may qualify for inclusion in a lawsuit if:
- You lived or worked in Camp Lejeune for a minimum of 30 days
- Your time in Camp Lejeune occurred from 1953 to 1987
- You worked as a service member or civilian on the base OR
- You lived in Camp Lejeune as a family member to a service person
- You got exposed to contaminated water OR
- Your mother was exposed to contaminated water while pregnant with you
- You developed a disease as a result of your exposure
Your legal team can help you determine if you meet the eligibility requirements to file a lawsuit in North Carolina.
Do You Have to Hire a North Carolina Lawyer to File Your Claim?
Due to Camp Lejeune’s location, you must file Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits in North Carolina. However, you do not have to hire a law firm there if you live out of state. In fact, selecting a firm near your current location can allow you to better connect with your lawyer.
How Long do You Have to File a Lawsuit?
The U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of North Carolina handles lawsuits involving Camp Lejeune water contamination. Currently, the court system plans to resolve these claims in a consolidated mass tort.
You only have a limited amount of time to file your civil suit. Fortunately, working with a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyer can help keep your claim on track while the professionals monitor deadlines on your behalf.
What Compensation Can You Get After Exposure to Contaminated Water?
The contaminated water at Camp Lejeune caused many severe medical conditions. Individuals who developed these conditions have options to seek damages to cover their losses. In many cases, you can secure funds to cover your:
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses represent a primary concern for many people dealing with severe illnesses. As a result, you may receive compensation for your medical tests, procedures, medications, and rehabilitation.
If you need to hire a caregiver due to the extent of your injuries, your compensation may cover these costs.
Lost Wages
Severe medical conditions can prevent you from working during your recovery. In this situation, you may receive funds to cover your lost wages.
In some cases, your illness may prove so severe that you have to stop working. You could receive permanent disability benefits in this situation.
Non-Economic Damages
Finally, you may receive non-economic damages for your Camp Lejeune water contamination claim. These damages can cover your pain and suffering, adverse effects on your interpersonal relationships, and diminished ability to enjoy your life.
The value of non-economic damages can vary based on the severity of your illness or ailment. Lawyers often look at how exposure to dangerous chemicals affects your life. More complicated situations can include:
- Illnesses that prevent you from working
- Illnesses that result in a permanent disability
- The loss of a child due to exposure to contaminated water
- Losing another family member to a fatal illness
Individuals facing these situations may receive more compensation than someone with a minor illness with a brief recovery period.
What Is the Average Settlement for Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Cases?
The PACT Act only opened up avenues for more people to pursue a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit in August of 2022. Therefore, there has not been time to assess average settlements for these claims.
Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyers can review all your losses, helping you estimate the possible value of your claim.
What Health Conditions did Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune Cause?
Some of the conditions victims of toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune have developed include but are not limited to:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cardiac Defects
- End-stage renal disease
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
Health conditions may also develop in individuals exposed to the toxic water in utero. For example, babies might have been born underweight, mothers could have miscarried, or babies might have suffered fetal death.
If you or a loved one was affected by Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water, now is your time to seek the remedy you deserve. You can seek the help you need from Camp Lejeune water contamination attorneys.
Although money cannot undo the effects of contaminated water on you and your family, an award holds the government responsible and helps cover costs you sustained or continue to experience.
What Toxins Caused Health Problems in Camp Lejeune?
According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), two of eight water treatment facilities provided toxic water to Camp Lejeune between the early 1950s and mid-1980s. Waste disposal, leaking storage tanks, and industrial spills contributed to the contamination.
The toxins identified include:
- Trichloroethylene
- Tetrachloroethylene
- Vinyl chloride
- Benzene
Around one million servicemembers, civil workers, contractors, and their families may have drank, bathed in, or cooked with contaminated water. Doctors have linked prolonged exposure to the toxins to several health conditions and diseases.
We’re Ready to Help with All Aspects of Your Claim
Our Camp Lejeune water contamination attorneys are ready to handle every aspect of your claim. We provide you with a free consultation to discuss your situation and take calls 24/7, so you don’t have to wait to get help.
Additionally, we take on many claims on a contingency basis, so you don’t have to worry about legal fees until we resolve your case. Allow us to apply our legal knowledge and experience to your situation.
Contact Us for Help with Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Claims
If contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune harmed you, you have two years from the enactment of the Act or from the date you discovered your injury to file your claim.
Our Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyers in Okemos want to help you seek the justice you deserve and are ready to evaluate your case and discuss the next steps.
At White Law PLLC, our clients come first, and we work tirelessly to protect their rights. Speak with us about your Camp Lejeune claim by calling us or completing our online contact form.
We’re Experienced. We Care.
We Exceed Client Expectations.
