The Serious Diseases Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Victims Sustained

Roughly 500,000 to 1 million people were exposed to contaminated drinking water between 1953 and 1987 at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina. This has led to several illnesses, and many victims have died as a result of the water contamination.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA), included as part of the Honoring Our PACT Act and signed into law on August 10, 2022, provides a long-sought remedy, allowing those who have been harmed by this contamination to recover compensation for their losses.

If you’ve been in a similar case of water contamination, contact an experienced law firm to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.

The Serious Diseases Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Victims Sustained

The poisonous chemicals in Camp Lejeune’s water have been linked to a list of 17 illnesses/conditions. Presumptive conditions are illnesses that are presumed to be caused by the poisonous water at Camp Lejeune. Furthermore, there are an additional 8 conditions that have been tied to Camp Lejeune but are not considered presumptive, and no assumptions have been made in this respect.

8 Presumptive Diseases Caused by Camp Lejeune Water Contamination

If a person spent at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 and was diagnosed with one of the conditions given below, it is presumed that the toxic water at Camp Lejeune caused it. Presumptive service connection makes it possible for the affected to get compensatory benefits without needing to provide any proof of the chemicals causing the disease in their case. The list of presumptive diseases is given below:

  1. Adult Leukemia
  2. Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
  3. Multiple myeloma
  4. Liver cancer
  5. Bladder cancer
  6. Esophageal cancer
  7. Kidney cancer
  8. Renal cancer

Thousands of people who were exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 were exposed to benzene, a substance known to cause cancer and other chronic illnesses. The illnesses that are now known to be significantly more common among those exposed to contaminated water include:

  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease)
  • Immune disorders
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Bone marrow diseases (aplastic anemia and others)
  • Neurobehavioral effects
  • Brain damage
  • Epilepsy
  • Cardiac defects
  • Fatty liver disease
  • Hepatic steatosis
  • Renal toxicity
  • Scleroderma
  • Birth defects
  • Infertility
  • Miscarriage

Extensive testing has revealed that pregnant women were especially put at risk by drinking the toxic water from Camp Lejeune, which was contaminated for decades. The fetuses of women pregnant at the time of their exposure had a markedly increased risk for neural tube birth defects, which can result in spina bifida.

Ecologist taking water sample from the river with test tube for examination

Who is Eligible for Compensation?

The CLJA has certain eligibility criteria for individuals to file claims for damages arising from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The CLJA states that if you were on active duty for at least 30 days, served at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987, and were diagnosed with one of the associated conditions above, you may be eligible for compensation.

You must also be able to prove that there is a probable cause between your exposure and your illness with substantial evidence.