Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022

I’m Katelyn Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss personal injury law topics.

Today’s question comes from a caller who said he was stationed at Camp Lejeune in 1965. He said he had been diagnosed with bladder cancer and wondered if he would be qualified to make a claim.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows individuals to recover damages from the United States for injuries caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during 1953-1987. The law opens up a window of time, at least until August 10, 2024, when individuals harmed by water contamination at Camp Lejeune may bring a claim against the United States.

A personal injury or wrongful death claim can be brought by or on behalf of any individual, veteran, or civilian. Before a claim can be brought in court, it must be submitted for review by the appropriate federal agency. The agency may, in turn, accept or deny a claim. A claim must be submitted online to the Office of the Judge Advocate General, Tort Claims Unit.

In making a claim, there are certain things one has to show:

1. exposure to the water at Camp Lejeune was for at least 30 days during the time beginning August 1, 1953 – December 31, 1987; and
2. evidence that a causal relationship exists between the contaminated water exposure/ingestion and the injury suffered.

The Department of Veterans Affairs lists certain physical conditions that are presumed to be related to Camp Lejeune water contamination. Suppose someone has one or more diagnoses of these specific physical conditions and meets the exposure criteria for at least 30 days. In that case, they are presumed to have been harmed by the contamination. Those 8 presumptive conditions are:

• Adult leukemia
• Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Parkinson’s disease

The governmental agency has also listed certain conditions as being potentially compensable diseases in connection with the Camp Lejeune water contamination:

• Breast cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Female infertility
• Hepatic steatosis
• Leukemia
• Lung cancer
• Miscarriage
• Myelodysplastic syndromes
• Neurobehavioral effects
• Renal toxicity
• Scleroderma

Additionally, veterans making a claim for injuries caused by the Camp Lejeune water contamination can file not only for an award of damages through the Tort Claims Unit mentioned above but also for VA health care and disability benefits with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

If you or your loved one has been harmed by the water contamination at Camp Lejuene, contact an attorney today to discuss making a claim for damages.

I hope you found this information helpful. If you are a victim of someone’s carelessness, substandard medical care, a product defect, work injury, or another personal injury, please call (219) 736-9700 with your questions. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at DavidHolubLaw.com – while there, make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth.”