FAQs on Camp Lejeune Lawsuits

If you have watched any TV or been on social media lately, chances are that you have seen an attorney advertisement for Camp Lejeune lawsuits. The proliferation of Camp Lejeune lawyer ads recently has prompted a lot of questions from people who may not be familiar with the Camp Lejeune litigation or even know what or where Camp Lejeune is. In this post, our Camp Lejeune lawyers will attempt to answer some of the most frequently asked questions that we get about Camp Lejeune lawsuits.

What is Camp Lejeune?

If you are not in the military or live in North Carolina, you had probably never even heard of Camp Lejeune until the lawyer ads started popping up recently. Camp Lejeune is massive Marine Corps base and operational training compound in North Carolina. Camp Lejeune opened in 1942 and it is located near the town of Wilmington, NC. Camp Lejeune is like mid-sized town with an on-base resident population of over 50,000.

What Happened With the Water at Camp Lejeune?

The Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base has a resident population of over 50,000 at any given time. These residents live in barracks and family housing units on the base. To service this population, Camp Lejeune has always had its own water supply system which pumped water from underground aquifers to various water distribution plants on the base.

In the 1980s, new mandatory water quality testing revealed for the first time that the water supply at Camp Lejeune was extremely contaminated. The Lejeune water contained toxic, carcinogenic chemicals at dangerously high levels. The two primary contaminants, Perchloroethylene (PCE) and Trichloroethylene (TCE), were found in the Lejeune water supply at several thousand times above the maximum safe limits.

Subsequent testing and research determined that the water supply at Camp Lejeune was heavily contaminated from 1953 to 1987. It is estimated that during this time frame, over 1 million people were exposed to this toxic water at Camp Lejeune.

What Chemicals Were in the Water at Camp Lejeune?

The water at Camp Lejeune was contaminated primarily by perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE). These belong to a group of chemicals known as chlorinated solvents. Both PCE and TCE are widely used as solvents in various industrial settings, including in the commercial drying cleaning industry. TCE and PCE are known carcinogens and exposure to these chemicals has been linked to various type of cancer. The TCE and PCE levels in the Camp Lejeune water supply were several thousand times above the maximum safe limits set by the EPA.

The Camp Lejeune water was also found to contain benzene and vinyl chloride. Both of these chemicals are notorious carcinogens that have been conclusively linked to cancer and other adverse health conditions.

What is With All the Camp Lejeune Ads?

The reason that there have been so many lawyer advertisements for Camp Lejeune recently is because in August 2022 Congress passed a new law, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA), which gives victims of the Camp Lejeune water contamination the ability to sue the government and get compensation for harm related to the toxic water. The new CLJA allows anyone who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1953 and December 1987 to bring a claim. The CLJA only creates a 2-year window for Camp Lejeune cases to be filed, which is way so many lawyers are urgently advertising.

Who is Eligible to File a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?

Under the new federal law, anyone who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987 for at least 30 days is eligible to file a lawsuit and seek compensation for injuries related to the Camp Lejeune water. If the individual who lived on the base during that time frame is already dead, their estate can file a claim on their behalf.

What is the Settlement Value of Camp Lejeune Cases?

Our lawyers estimate that the settlement value of Camp Lejeune lawsuits will be somewhere between $300,000 and $2 million. The value of an individual case will depend on various factors including: (1) how long the plaintiff lived or worked at Camp Lejeune, (2) the type of cancer or health condition allegedly caused by the Camp Lejeune water, and (3) whether the disease alleged by the plaintiff has been recognized as “presumptively” linked to Camp Lejeune.

Contact Our Camp Lejeune Attorneys Today

Contact our Camp Lejeune attorneys today for a free consultation at 800-553-8082. Our attorneys only get paid if you do.