The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 is a proposed bill that will allow those harmed by exposure to toxic water supplies at Camp Lejeune from 1953-1987 to seek financial compensation for the injuries and illnesses they have suffered or may have suffered from the exposure of the toxic water supply at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Section 804 of the Act entitled Federal Cause of Action Relating to Water at Camp Lejeune states:
An individual, including a veteran (as defined in section 101 of title 38, United States Code), or the legal representative of such an individual, who resided, worked, or was otherwise exposed (including in utero exposure) for not less than 30 days during the period beginning on August 1, 1953, and ending on December 31, 1987, to water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, that was supplied by, or on behalf of, the United States may bring an action in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina to obtain appropriate relief for harm that was caused by exposure to the water at Camp Lejeune.
The proposed law prohibits the U.S. government from asserting specified immunity from litigation in response to a lawsuit regarding the contaminated water.
Who will be covered? All former active-duty personnel, reserve and National Guard members who spent at least 30 consecutive days at Camp Lejeune within that 34-year period along with their family members. Eligible injuries include liver cancer, kidney cancer, birth defects, and other health conditions linked to contaminated water. The CDC has estimated over a million veterans, family members and nearby civilians were potentially exposed to the unsafe water at Camp Lejeune, which resulted from various sources, including nearby industrial spills, underground storage tanks and an off-base dry-cleaning facility. At the time, there was great concern about the issue, but it was not until the early 1980’s that water testing uncovered the true cause of the contamination.
A link has been found between exposure to toxic substances in contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune and severe, potentially deadly health effects including:
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- Liver cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Breast cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Lung cancer
- Leukemia
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Liver disease
- Miscarriages
- Birth defects
If you or someone you know lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987 and suffered a toxic water disease such as cancer or another illness, call us to review your claim. You can reach us at 251-343-1111.