Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Presumptive Illnesses

About Camp Lejeune Health Issues

People who lived or worked at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between 1953 and 1987 were likely exposed to polluted drinking water from the base’s water supply.

This includes up to one million active duty service members, civilian workers, and their families.

The contaminated water at Camp Lejeune contained volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxic chemicals.

The chemicals found in Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water included:

• Benzene
• Dichloroethylene (DCE)
• Tetrachloroethylene – also known as perchloroethylene (PCE)
• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• Vinyl chloride
• Other contaminants

These dangerous chemicals came from underground fuel storage tanks and dry cleaning waste and seeped into at least two water treatment plants on the base, Hadnot Point and Tarawa Terrace.

Unfortunately, exposure to these chemicals caused many people to develop health issues, including cancers, birth defects, and fertility issues.

If you or a loved one suffered from one of the Camp Lejeune medical issues, you may be entitled to compensation.

This money is available through the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) and is completely separate from benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

VA Camp Lejeune Presumptive Conditions

The VA acknowledges a presumptive service connection between exposure to Camp Lejeune’s water and eight specific diseases.

Presumptive conditions are those that the VA automatically recognizes as being directly linked to or caused by military service.

Veterans with these conditions are typically not required to prove it is service-connected to receive benefits or compensation.

Here are the 8 Camp Lejeune water contamination presumptive illnesses:

1. Adult leukemia
2. Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
3. Bladder cancer
4. Kidney cancer
5. Liver cancer
6. Multiple myeloma
7. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
8. Parkinson’s disease

Currently, these are the only conditions that qualify as Camp Lejeune water contamination presumptive illnesses.

However, this doesn’t mean they are the only health issues related to Camp Lejeune water contamination. Many other severe conditions are also believed to be connected to the toxic water.

Even if you weren’t diagnosed with one of the Camp Lejeune water contamination presumptive illnesses, you may still have legal rights under the CLJA.

Other Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Diseases

In addition to the Camp Lejeune water contamination presumptive illnesses, people exposed may be at increased risk for the following conditions.

Autoimmune Disorders

People exposed to Camp Lejeune water contamination are more likely to develop autoimmune diseases, which happen when the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells.

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, has been linked to Camp Lejeune water contamination. A rare autoimmune condition, scleroderma is characterized by thickened skin lesions.

It happens when the body produces and accumulates an excess of collagen, a protein that is responsible for skin elasticity and healthy joints.

Birth and Fertility Issues

Children born to mothers who worked or lived at Camp Lejeune between 1968 and 1985 were 4 times more likely to be born with certain birth defects, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Birth Defects and Childhood Cancer Study.

Exposure to TCE, especially during the early stages of pregnancy, can put unborn babies at a heightened risk of heart complications and disorders of the immune system.

Additionally, women who were pregnant while living on the base were at an increased risk for miscarriage or stillbirth.

“Women on the base quietly suffered repeated miscarriages, stillbirths and other defects during that time period, but many said their losses were often dismissed.”

—NBC News

Young children exposed to the toxic water on the military base may have faced an increased risk of childhood cancer and other health conditions later in life.

Cancer

Camp Lejeune contaminated drinking water has been linked to an increased risk of developing various types of cancers.

The Camp Lejeune cancer list includes:

• Brain cancer
• Breast cancer
• Colon cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Lung cancer
• Lymphoma
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer

Heart Conditions

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) linked major heart defects to TCE-contaminated drinking water, suggesting a potential connection between Camp Lejeune’s water contamination and heart disease.

These heart conditions have been linked to Camp Lejeune water contamination:

• Arrhythmias disrupt the regular rhythm and pace of heartbeats.
• Cardiomyopathy hinders the heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently, potentially leading to heart failure.
• Congenital heart defects have been observed in children of mothers who were at Camp Lejeune during the water contamination era.
• Heart failure, often called congestive heart failure, arises when the heart can’t adequately supply the body’s blood needs.
• Stroke results from a ruptured or blocked brain blood vessel and can lead to lasting disabilities or even death.

Neurological Disorders

People exposed to contaminants in Camp Lejeune drinking water risk developing neurological and neurobehavioral effects.

Camp Lejeune neurological and neurobehavioral effects include:

• Behavioral disorders
• Lack of coordination
• Learning problems
• Memory deficits
• Motor problems
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Sensory disturbances
• Trouble concentrating

Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is one of the Camp Lejeune water contamination presumptive illnesses. It is a brain disorder that causes uncontrollable and unintended movements, such as stiffness, shaking, and difficulty with coordination and balance.

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, people may have difficulty talking and walking. They may also experience behavioral changes, depression, sleep problems, and memory deficits.

How the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Helps Victims

In 2022, President Biden signed the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which included the CLJA.

This law allows victims to sue the U.S. government for Camp Lejeune health issues, even if they don’t have one of the Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions. It also lets families file wrongful death claims for people with Camp Lejeune health issues who have died.

If you receive money in a CLJA lawsuit, any VA benefits you’ve received for Camp Lejeune water contamination will be deducted from that amount. However, your current and future VA benefits will remain unchanged.

The deadline for filing a Camp Lejeune lawsuit is August 2024. This may seem like a lot of time, but paperwork, filing requirements, and a surge of claims flooding the court can all cause delays.

Get Legal Help for a Camp Lejeune Health Issue

If you or a loved one spent at least 30 days on the base between 1953 to 1987 and developed one of the Camp Lejeune health issues, connecting with a lawyer could be your best path forward.

Don’t worry if you are unsure whether you qualify or don’t have one of the Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions. We can help you determine your eligibility quickly, and there is no cost to get a case review.

The victims of Camp Lejeune water contamination and their loved ones have suffered for far too long. It is time for justice.