If you or your family members experienced health problems after spending time on Camp Lejeune military base between 1953 and 1987, you may file a lawsuit. This is thanks to the Camp Lejeune Justice Act 2022. You can file even if your loved one has already passed away. You can even file a Camp Lejeune birth defect lawsuit if you or your child has a qualifying condition.
At Reich & Binstock, our personal injury attorneys are proud to help veterans and military families get the justice they deserve. Call one of our experienced Camp Lejeune injury attorneys today at 713-622-7271 for a free consultation.
What is the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022?
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act allows those injured by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to pursue compensation and recover damages. They can do this through a personal injury lawsuit. This includes veterans, their family members, and civilians who were potentially exposed to the toxic chemicals found at Camp Lejeune.
This bipartisan bill was approved by the Senate with a vote of 86-11. The bill was signed into law in August 2022 by President Biden. It was part of a larger bill, called the PACT Act. It aims to provide medical care and appropriate relief for those who were affected by water contamination and establishes a fund to pay for Camp Lejeune’s cleanup efforts.
Before the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, victims and their families couldn’t sue for damages related to Camp Lejeune water contamination. If you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune during the period of contamination and experienced symptoms of Camp Lejeune water contamination, contact our attorneys as soon as possible.
Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022
Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, more commonly known as the Honoring Our PACT Act, was created to improve disability benefits and health care for veterans and their families who were exposed to toxic chemicals during their dedicated service to our military.
VA disability compensation should cover health problems stemming from military burn pits, military clean-up sites with high levels of toxins or radiation, and more.
Benefits of the PACT ACT and Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022
Other benefits of the PACT Act and Camp Lejeune Justice Act include:
- Updated definition of toxins and updated process of evaluating the approach to verify exposure to radiation, toxic water, and toxic chemicals
- Ensuring United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has well-trained employees, namely employees to manage screenings, conduct lab tests, and collect specimen
- Allowing for expanded screenings and treatments for veterans who were exposed to toxic water and chemicals, like Camp Lejeune water contamination
Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 Specifics
The PACT Act offers protections to veterans who were exposed to toxic water or chemicals during their military service, but the Camp Lejeune Act was created specifically for those service members and their families who were harmed by the toxic water at Camp Lejeune.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act states that service members and their family members who spent more than 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987 may be able to pursue damages for harm caused by toxic water at Camp Lejeune through the legal process.
Even if you or a family member suffered from injuries years ago, or if your family member has already passed away, you can still pursue financial compensation because of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022.
What Happened at Camp Lejeune?
For over three decades, Camp Lejeune residents may have been exposed to toxic water through the base’s tap water system. Many residents were later found to be at an increased risk for long-term adverse health effects.
The contaminated water at Camp Lejeune exposed potentially over a million people to dangerous chemicals including perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), and vinyl chloride. Since then, those chemicals have been linked to several serious and life-threatening long term illnesses, including various forms of cancer.
It’s been almost 40 years since the wells at Camp Lejeune have been shut down. And, finally, the Camp Lejeune Act of 2022 provides the legislation required for families to pursue financial compensation for their losses through a Camp Lejeune lawsuit.
Who Can File a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?
The United States government specifically created the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 to help those who were directly exposed to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and those who lost a family member or loved one due to Camp Lejeune water contamination.
The federal government states that you could file Camp Lejeune water lawsuit if you or a family member:
- developed a health problem as a result of exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune
- spent at least 30 days on the Camp Lejeune base, either consecutively or non-consecutively
- lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953 to December 31, 1987
Maybe your affected family member passed away years ago. Your family may still be able to file a lawsuit on their behalf or on behalf of their estate. This is what’s known as a Camp Lejeune wrongful death lawsuit.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Health Problems and Risks
Several medical problems and long term illnesses have been linked directly to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. A few of these include:
- Leukemia
- Aplastic anemia
- Birth defects, miscarriage, and infertility
- Cancer, including bladder cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, and rectal cancer
- Cardiac defects
- Various dental issues
- Heart attacks
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
It’s important to note that this list of health issues and diseases isn’t exhaustive. There may be many more potential health problems that are linked to the contaminated water exposure from Camp Lejeune.
Additionally, if your loved one died as a result of Camp Lejeune water contamination, please understand that our United States veterans did not expect to face harm while completing basic tasks within the walls of their home. Tasks, such as taking a shower, washing clothes, or preparing meals, subjected our veterans to serious danger. Everyday tasks put our service members at extreme risks while our government ignored complaints from victims.
How to File a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit
At Reich & Binstock, we strive to make your financial recovery as easy as possible for you and your family. We can provide a free legal case evaluation to determine whether or not you have a valid claim. During your initial consultation, an experienced personal injury lawyer will ask you about how the water contamination at Camp Lejeune has affected you or your family.
If you have a valid personal injury case, our injury lawyers will help you build a strong claim. We’ll do this by gathering all relevant evidence including medical records, bills for medical care, and your military service records.
From here, one of our experienced attorneys will file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit on your behalf. We will make sure that you submit the proper paperwork and meet all of the government deadlines.
Victims of the water contamination only have until August 2024 to seek compensation for their injuries, so it is extremely important to contact an experienced attorney as quickly as possible.
In some cases, we may be able to negotiate a Camp Lejeune water contamination settlement on your behalf. But, suppose we aren’t able to reach a fair settlement. We can present your claim before a judge or jury in court.
Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water Settlements
President Biden, along with the Congressional Budget Office has projected spending over $6.1 billion for Camp Lejeune exposure claims and various related lawsuits. And, there are several factors that will affect your ability to pursue compensation, as well as the amount of compensation you may be eligible for. Remember that the Camp Lejeune lawsuit payout per person will differ depending on the severity of the case.
Some factors the court will consider include the:
- Amount of time spent at Camp Lejeune: In order to have a valid claim, you or a family member must have spent at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune. The length of exposure may affect the value of your settlement.
- Person’s initial health before their time at Camp Lejeune
- Cost of medical care: Some diseases and illnesses are worse than others. Some medical treatments are more expensive than others. Long term care associated with a debilitating disease, for example, merits a substantially higher settlement than claims with smaller health conditions.
- Loss of income or future earning potential: If the person was deemed unable to work after developing health problems from water contamination may file for more compensation than those who were not.
Regardless of your current situation, the Houston personal injury attorneys at Reich & Binstock will fight for maximum fair compensation. Our clients have dedicated their lives to their country, and it is now our responsibility to fight on their behalf.
To find out if you have a valid claim, call our law firm today at 713-622-7271. All information you share with us is completely confidential. Our toxic tort lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. So, you won’t owe us anything unless your claim is successful in court.
