Camp Lejeune VA Benefits | Veterans Affairs Attorneys
The water contamination at Camp Lejeune impacted more than one million contractors, support staff, and their families.
For decades veterans and their families who were poisoned and sick from the exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune have been fighting to get benefits and reimbursement for their disability from the VA. Little has been done to support those impacted with severe illnesses until recently.
The federal government just opened the window to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit in federal court in North Carolina to seek benefits and compensation for their disability.
As a veteran, if you or someone you love spent any time, even as little as a month, at Camp Lejeune, VA benefits and compensation could be available for water contamination-related illnesses.
Read on to learn more about eligibility for a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, what type of benefits veterans can receive due to disability, and the steps veterans should take to file one through the VA.
History of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
Camp Lejeune is a large military installation located near the deep water ports of Morehead City and Wilmington in North Carolina. Camp Lejeune houses the world's largest military installation, with marines and sailors on base and the nearby New River Air Station.
Construction on the base began in the early 1940s and was operational in 1943. Almost immediately, those who lived on and passed through the base faced water contamination risks.
The water contamination came out of three water treatment plants on the base:
- Tarawa Terrace
- Hadnot Point
- Holcomb Boulevard
The water treatment plants pulled water from multiple wells for treatment, then distributed it to different locations around the base. Not all the wells contained contamination, yet the contaminated water got mixed at the water treatment plants, impacting all the water distributed.
It would be surprising to find any marine who didn't spend time at Camp Lejeune during the years when there was contaminated water. Those marines face harsh statistics when it comes to illnesses from the water contamination, including:
- 42% higher risk of liver cancer for Marines living and working at Camp Lejeune
- 35% higher risk of kidney cancer for Marines living and working at Camp Lejeune
- 50% higher risk for ALS for Marines living and working at Camp Lejeune
- 47% higher risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for Marines living and working at Camp Lejeune
- 68% higher risk for multiple myeloma for Marines living and working at Camp Lejeune
It wasn't until 1987 that the contaminated water wells were shut down.
Promise to address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act
For years, those impacted by water contamination at Camp Lejeune fought for benefits as they faced debilitating illnesses. Finally, in 2012, the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act got passed.
This allowed veterans and their families who were at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina to get VA benefits.
Those who spent as little as 30 cumulative days between August 1953 through December 1987 were eligible for VA benefits.
Most felt it still wasn't enough to provide medical coverage. For years, there was a fight to open litigation for those impacted. In 2022, the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, including the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, was signed into law.
For years Camp Lejeune lawsuits were prohibited by an archaic North Carolina law. This new federal act changed that and opened the door to seeking reimbursement for damages.
You can find more information about the PACT Act and how it will affect your VA benefits and care directly on the va.gov website.
Who Can File a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit?
Anyone who lived on Camp Lejeune, for at least 30 days, between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and has lost a family member or been diagnosed with an illness related to volatile organic compound (VOC) exposure may have the right to file a lawsuit.
Illnesses and medical conditions that may be related to the water contamination at CL include:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
Women who were pregnant while they were living in the camp may also be entitled to disability damages from the VA if their children suffered birth defects or other complications.
Filing a VA Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
Some important steps to follow to file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit. It's important to know that once the Camp Lejeune Justice Act was signed, it did put a time limit on lawsuits. All suits must be filed within two years from August 10, 2022.
Let's take a closer look at the steps to take if you think you're eligible to file a VA water contamination lawsuit.
The first requirement is exposure during the contamination period:
- On base for 30 consecutive days
- Between August 1953 through December 1987
Eligibility is for:
- Veterans
- Reservists
- Guardsmen
- Family members
- Military personnel
If a loved one of yours has died from one of the illnesses connected to the water contamination, you can also file a VA lawsuit on their behalf.
2. Illness Documentation
Another part of the process will be to show the impact of being at Camp Lejeune. This includes being impacted by one of the presumptive illnesses. That list includes:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
If you or a loved one was at Camp Lejeune and became ill, even if the illness was not on this list, you should seek the advice of an experienced VA lawyer.
3. Get an Experienced VA Lawyer
While you can file a claim without a lawyer, you shouldn't. You want an experienced veterans disability attorney who knows the laws and the specifics of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
You want your interests protected. You also don't want your case dropped because of an error. Based on the number of lawsuits that will be filed through this act, it will likely turn into a class action lawsuit.
Veterans affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination should receive all of the benefits and compensation they deserve. When a crisis hits close to home, contact the VA lawyers at Wettermark Keith to fight VA claim denials and fight for your rights.
4. File an Administrative Claim for Disability Coverage Benefits
Before your attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf, first, they must file an administrative claim for disability coverage. Your attorney must provide the necessary documentation and wait for the results. The attorney can file a federal lawsuit if a claim gets denied or a Camp Lejeune settlement is not reached.
5. File Camp Lejeune Civil Lawsuit
All Camp Lejeune VA lawsuits must get filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
The importance of an experienced VA attorney can't be overstated here. Your VA attorney will need to show your time at Camp Lejeune and make connections from the time spent there with the illnesses you're facing.
Family Member Program for Veterans
The Camp Lejeune Family Member Program is specifically for families who were stationed at Camp Lejeune. This program is part of the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 , which was passed into law.
This law requires the VA to provide health care to Veterans who served on active duty at Camp Lejeune and to reimburse eligible Camp Lejeune family members for health care costs related to specified illnesses or medical conditions listed in the law. If you apply to ALL of the following:
- The Veteran was on active duty and served at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
- You were the spouse or dependent of the Veteran during that same period.
- You lived (or were in utero) on Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
Then you may meet the criteria for the VA Camp Lejeune Family Member Program and should consider completing an application through the VA website.
CAMP LEJEUNE VA BENEFITS
faq
The amount of benefits you could receive from your VA Camp Lejeune lawsuit will depend very heavily on the particulars of your case. Wettermark Keith attorneys will work to get you the most compensation possible. Every victim from the camp will have been exposed to different levels of TCE and PCE for different periods of time. This exposure will also affect everyone differently, so there is no definitive answer.
While every VA case will be different, a number of factors will impact how much compensation and type of disability benefits you can receive if you file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.
Consider things like:
- The illnesses or diseases you’ve been diagnosed with
- The prognosis you have been given
- Any past, future, and medical expenses due to your water contamination illness
- All of the income you’ve lost out on because of your medical condition
- Miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenses
- The pain and suffering you’ve endured
- Age
The more serious your conditions and the more you've had to put your life on hold due to those conditions, the more likely you are to receive disability and reimbursement from the VA.
Some people claiming to be VA lawyers may contact veterans, promising them settlement checks for their time in Camp Lejeune.
If you are a veteran and have been contacted by a veterans affairs lawyers who promise you a settlement before meeting with you and considering the details of your specific case, this is almost certainly a scam.
No lawyer will contact you about a settlement check or ask you for your bank details without discussing your case first.
Medical benefits apply to veterans and Camp Lejeune family members who lived on the base for a total of 30 or more days during the contaminant window as part of the camp’s family member program.
If this applies to you, you may be eligible for reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical expenses and other benefits relating to your Camp Lejeune claim. A qualified attorney could help you calculate the compensation you could claim if you have subsequently developed one of the qualifying conditions and other benefits you deserve.
Veterans affairs notes that these conditions include various types of cancer, hepatic steatosis, adult leukemia, and female infertility.
Why Choose Wettermark Keith?
At Wettermark Keith, we specialize in working with Camp Lejeune families and veterans in the local community and helping them to claim VA benefits and veterans’ compensation for relevant health conditions they have developed due to their time in the camp.
We are legal experts in veterans affairs and veterans' disability settlements. We can help Camp Lejeune veterans and veterans’ families across the US to receive their deserved benefits and seek compensation for disability and reimbursement for out-of-pocket health care costs due to Camp Lejeune water contamination.
We offer all of our clients a free initial consultation, during which you can find out more information about the service we offer and resources on how water contamination claims work. As well as helping our clients to seek VA disability benefits and compensation, we can put you in touch with a veterans crisis line and provide extra support for you along the way.
The well-being and health care of veterans are our priority. If you are a veteran or a loved one of a veteran that has been affected by water contamination in Camp Lejeune, contact us today to discuss your claim for compensation and benefits.
Veterans Get the Help They Need With Their Camp Lejeune Claim
The opportunity to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit is a long-awaited opportunity to get the compensation and benefits you deserve if you've suffered an illness or disability from time spent at Camp Lejeune.
If you're a veteran who needs help navigating a veteran's disability or navigating your Camp Lejeune case, we can help. For more information, contact us today so we can get started fighting for the benefits and compensation you deserve.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE
Veterans Get the Help They Need With Their Camp Lejeune Claim
The opportunity to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit is a long-awaited opportunity to get the compensation and benefits you deserve if you've suffered an illness or disability from time spent at Camp Lejeune.
If you're a veteran who needs help navigating a veteran's disability or navigating your Camp Lejeune case, we can help. For more information, contact us today so we can get started fighting for the benefits and compensation you deserve.
