Understanding the Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Exposure Crisis

The Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune is located in North Carolina, but victims of the base’s water contamination reside all over the United States. If you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, you were likely exposed to harmful toxins without knowing it. Moreover, government officials became aware of chemicals in the water before they revealed this knowledge to the public.

Because of this fact, the government has since attempted to repair the harm. For instance, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has paid disability benefits to affected servicemembers with qualifying conditions since 2017. For many, however, this is simply not enough compensation for the damage done.

If you’re a Texan suffering from the consequences of the contamination, the Corpus Christi lawyers at Carabin Shaw are dedicated to supporting you in any rightful legal action you take. Our team can help you pursue a lawsuit whether you served in the military or not.

In 1980, Camp Lejeune officials tested the water for a compound that chemists couldn’t identify due to interference from other unidentified chemicals. By 1982, chemists detected perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) at two distribution plants. Eventually, benzene and vinyl chloride were discovered as well.

These substances mainly came from an off-site dry-cleaning company, and experts estimate that they entered the water supply three decades before detection. Although officials shut down the contaminated wells by 1985, the risk of exposure continued through 1987.

Although not immediately apparent, the extent of the injuries became evident over time. In fact, the Center for Disease Control estimates that as many as one million people were exposed over 34 years.

Victims of the water contamination include the following:

• Members of the Armed Forces
• Military family members
• Civil service members and families
• Other civilian employees and families
• Babies in utero

The Corpus Christi, Texas, injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw can serve any Texan individual or family suffering from the consequences of their exposure.

Abundant medical evidence links the chemicals in Camp Lejeune’s water to several debilitating diagnoses. The final rule for VA benefits included a limited number of covered diseases:

• Cancers of the kidney, liver, and bladder
• Four rare blood disorders: adult leukemia, multiple myeloma, aplastic anemia, and other myelodysplastic syndromes
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Parkinson’s disease

Although the VA doesn’t recognize them, other illnesses are also associated with exposure:

• Cancers of breast, lung, and esophagus
• Hepatic steatosis
• Infertility or miscarriage
• Neurobehavioral effects
• Renal toxicity
• Scleroderma

Fully understanding the Camp Lejeune toxic water exposure crisis requires knowledge of scientific evidence that supports the chemical cause of these conditions. Through a lawsuit, your attorney can help you seek compensation for any of the above illnesses beyond what the VA provides.

In addition, the VA doesn’t cover your medical needs if you were a civilian, military dependent, or in utero at Camp Lejeune. Thus, a lawsuit is your only way of pursuing justice.

When President Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act in 2022, it became possible for all people (not just military members) exposed to the contaminated water for at least 30 days to take legal action.

Your lawyer helps maximize your compensation by doing the following for your case:

• Proving the dates of your residency and diagnoses
• Gathering all medical records of your treatments.
• Showing evidence of medical and other out-of-pocket expenses
• Seeking expert testimony when relevant

Your first step toward justice is contacting Carabin Shaw by calling the toll-free number 800-862-1260. Our multilingual staff is available 24/7 to set up a free initial consultation and case review. As Carabin Shaw’s client reviews show, our lawyers are always reliable advocates for you when other systems have failed to protect you.