Camp Lejeune Water Lawsuit

Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Overview

Over one million U.S. Marines and their family members who worked or lived at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River in North Carolina between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 were exposed to contaminated water that contained toxic chemicals and solvents, which are known to cause cancer and other serious health side effects.

Was the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Real or Legit?

Yes. On August 10, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 (H.R. 3967), which is more commonly known as the PACT Act. This included a new Camp Lejeune water contamination law, which allowed veterans, family members and other individuals who developed injuries likely caused by toxins in the water to file a lawsuit until August 10, 2024.

Lawyers provided free consultations and claim evaluations to help veterans and their families determine if they were eligible for a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.

Who was Eligible for a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?

Financial compensation was pursued for any individual who suffered an injury caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, after living or working on the base for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, including:

• U.S. Military Servicemembers
• Military Family Members Residing on Base
• Unborn Children Exposed In Utero
• Civilian Contractors Working at Camp Lejeune

Camp Lejeune lawsuit payouts were pursued for various types of cancer and other injuries that have been linked to chemicals and toxins that contaminated the drinking water.

Camp Lejeune Cancer Lawsuits:

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Brain Cancer
• Breast cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Central Nervous System Cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colon Cancer/Colorectal Cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Hodgkins Lymphoma
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Leukemia
• Multiple myeloma
• Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Prostate Cancer
• Rectal Cancer
• Thyroid Cancer

Other Side Effects Eligible for Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Settlements:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Renal Toxicity/Kidney Disease
• Kidney Damage
• Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease)
• Aplastic anemia
• Scleroderma
• Birth defects
• Miscarriage
• Female Infertility
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Epilepsy (seizures)
• Immune Disorders
• Nerve Damage
• Neurobehavioral effects
• Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS or Pre-Leukemia)
• Neurobehavioral effects (tremors, lack of coordination, movement or motor problems or other symptoms consistent with undiagnosed Parkinson’s disease)

2024 Camp Lejeune Settlement and Lawsuit Updates

October 1, 2024 Update: Late last month a status conference was convened by Magistrate Judge Jones, Jr. in Wilmington, NC. During this meeting, the court discussed various discovery concerns presented by both parties and set the date for the following hearing on October 22, 2024.

August 12, 2024 Update: In a court order issued in late July, the four U.S. District Judges confirmed that details of Camp Lejeune settlements should not be included in status reports to the court, in order “to protect the integrity of the settlement negotiations facilitated by the Settlement Masters.” However, the restrictions do not apply to any statistical information provided on the number of Camp Lejeune settlements reached by the government and settlement offers made on its own initiative, without the involvement the Special Masters.

July 16, 2024 Update: U.S. District Judges Richard E. Myers II, Terrence W. Boyle, Louise W. Flanagan and James C. Dever III issued a case management order on July 9, appointing two Camp Lejeune settlement masters to work with the parties to resolve the litigation. In the order, the judges assigned Thomas J. Perrelli and Christopher G. Oprison to help facilitate global settlement discussions.

June 18, 2024 Update: On June 15, plaintiff’s submitted a list of 15 lawsuits from the initial pool of 100 eligible claims to serve as Track 1 Camp Lejeune bellwether trials, including three bladder cancer lawsuits, three kidney cancer lawsuits, three leukemia lawsuits, three non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma lawsuits and three Parkinson’s disease claims. The U.S. Government is now expected to submit their list by the end of this week, and plaintiffs will have five days to obtain any necessary waivers allowing the selected claims to move forward.

June 1, 2024 Update: On May 23, 2024, Congressman Greg Murphy, alongside Congresswoman Deborah Ross, introduced the Camp Lejeune Justice Corrections Act aimed at refining the existing Camp Lejeune Justice Act to ensure affected veterans can access their rightful claims more efficiently. The new legislation seeks to allow for Camp Lejeune jury trials, cap attorneys’ fees, and expand jurisdiction to allow additional courts to handle the backlog of cases.

May 1, 2024 Update: At a status conference held on April 26, 2024, plaintiff’s lawyers disagreed with the governments proposal to select claims for individuals alleging harm from only one disease for Track 3 trials, arguing that excluding multi-disease cases from early trials would be unfair, and that it is essential to acknowledge the compounded suffering of individuals who have developed multiple diseases due to the toxic exposure.

April 23, 2024 Update: In a recent status report filed on April 19, the United States government is calling for a third series of Camp Lejeune lawsuits to be selected for early bellwether trials, involving claims that water contamination at the U.S. Marine training base in North Carolina caused the development of esophageal cancer, miscarriage, dental side effects, hypersensitivity skin disorder and the need for medical monitoring.

Camp Lejeune Elective Option Settlement Details

The Camp Lejeune Elective Option, proposed in early September 2023, provided settlements ranging from about $100,000 to $550,000, for individuals who suffered any of the following ailments:

• Kidney Cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Bladder cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Liver cancer
• Parkinson’s disease
• Kidney Disease
• Systemic sclerosis/scleroderma

All of those injuries have been identified as potentially linked to Camp Lejeune drinking water contamination by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Those who took the Elective Option being offered by the government would be divided into two tiers of qualifying injuries.

Tier 1 included those injuries backed by evidence of a causal link between one or more contaminants found at Camp Lejeune, including:

• Kidney Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Leukemias
• Bladder Cancer

Tier 2 included injuries where there is enough research to support a link between a contaminant and the injury, but not enough to firmly conclude there is a causal link, including:

• Multiple Myeloma
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Kidney Disease/End Stage Renal Disease
• Systemic Sclerosis/Systemic Scleroderma

How much is a Camp Lejeune settlement worth?

Under the elective settlement option, Camp Lejeune Tier 1 qualifying injuries for kidney cancer, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and bladder cancer will receive $150,000 if they lived or worked on the base between 30 days and a year, $300,000 for one to five years of exposure, and $450,000 if they lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for longer than five years.

Camp Lejeune Tier 2 qualifying injuries for multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease, kidney disease and systemic sclerosis will get $100,000 for a month to a year of exposure, $250,000 for one to five years, and $400,000 for more than five years.

Those who participated in the elective option had to properly present an administrative claim to the Department of the Navy. Their injury must have been first diagnosed or treated before August 10, 2022.

To have qualified for the Elective Option, the claimant’s diagnosis must have occurred at least two years after their first exposure to Camp Lejeune water, and no longer than 35 years after they were last exposed.

They must also have shown the appropriate medical documentation showing their diagnosis or treatment, and there must be evidence that they resided or were employed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987.

Camp Lejeune Multidistrict Litigation

While the U.S. government has offered an elective Camp Lejeune settlement option, providing between roughly $100,000 and $500,000 depending on the type of injury and duration of exposure to the toxic water, many claimed the settlement option did not provide fair compensation, or any amount of compensation for those who developed other cancers and injuries allegedly caused by the contaminated water.

As a result, individuals exercised their rights under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, to file water contamination lawsuits against the government in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, where claims were overseen by four separate judges: Judges Richard E. Myers II, Terrence W. Boyle, Louise W. Flanagan and James C. Dever III.

2024 Camp Lejeune Bellwether Trials

As part of the pretrial proceedings and management of the Camp Lejeune lawsuits filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the judges established two separate “tracks” to prepare groups of representative claims for early trial dates.

Track 1 Camp Lejeune Bellwether Trials

In September 2023, the four judges issued a case management order (PDF), indicating they will move forward with plans to prepare a series of early bellwether test trials for the first series of Camp Lejeune lawsuits. Attorneys have chosen 100 cases to undergo initial discovery and are anticipated to go to trial in late 2024. The claims that will be heard will include injuries involving;

• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Leukemia
• Parkinson’s disease
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Track 2 Camp Lejeune Bellwether Trials

In February 2024, the judges issued a case management order (PDF), announcing the Track 2 Discovery Plan Order, after the parties submitted competing proposals on how the Track 2 cases should be handled.

According to the order, the Discovery Pool for Track 2 cases will consist of plaintiffs alleging Camp Lejeune water contamination caused them to develop;

• Prostate Cancer
• Kidney Disease
• Lung Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Breast Cancer

Bellwether trials are typically performed to gauge how juries will respond to evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout the trials, and to encourage settlement agreements amongst the parties. However, the judges overseeing the Camp Lejeune litigation have ruled that they will determine Camp Lejeune lawsuit payouts instead of a jury, which they say will help move the litigation forward much more rapidly than jury trials.

History of Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Problems

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is a nearly 250-square-mile training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. It went into operation in 1942.

From 1957 to at least 1987, evidence suggests that U.S. Marines and their families, as well as vendors and contractors who worked and lived on or near the base, were exposed to heavily contaminated water, which they and their families both drank and bathed in without knowledge of the potential health risks.

Many of those chemicals came from on-site laundry services and leaking underground storage tanks, which contaminated the base’s wells with volatile organic compounds and toxic solvents, linked to birth defects, pregnancy risks, as well as numerous forms of cancer.

Chemicals Found in Camp Lejeune Water

Grainger Laboratories began testing the water at Camp Lejeune for chemicals in response to new safety standards enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which discovered than 70 different chemicals in drinking water wells at Camp Lejeune since the late 1950s. Many of these chemicals are exposed Marines and family members to a risk of  cancer from drinking contaminated Camp Lejeune water, including:

• Tetrachloroethylene (PCE)
• Benzene
• Vinyl Chloride
• Trichloroethylene (TCE)
• DCE (trans-1,2-dichloroethylene)
• 70+ more toxic solvents and chemicals

The government and base officials knew about the contamination for decades. However, despite warnings from experts and numerous damning inspections and reports, little to nothing was done about the Camp Lejeune water contamination problems and the water was deemed safe, even as its poor, and alarming, chemical taste was commented on by marines and their families for years.

The wells were shut off in 1985, due to the high levels of contamination. However, they were illegally reactivated later.

One of the chemicals with the highest concentrations found in Camp Lejeune water was TCE, which is commonly used for dry cleaning and degreasing metal, and has also been linked to increased risks of cancer, congenital heart disease and pregnancy complications.

In March 2203, researchers published findings that highlighted the Parkinson’s disease risk from Camp Lejeune water, indicating that individuals and families who drank, bathed, cooked, swam, and played in Camp Lejeune water contaminated with TCE could be 500% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Researchers stated that the toxic chemical TCE has neurodegenerative effects on the human body that can lead to the onset of Parkinson’s disease and other nervous system disorders.

In May 2023, a study was published in the medical journal JAMA Neurology, which compared Parkinson’s rates at Camp Lejeune to veterans who severed at a different base, finding that Camp Lejeune veterans were 70% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.

Areas of Camp Lejeune With Contaminated Water

Chemicals in the Camp Lejeune water were distributed throughout the Marine base, including MCAS New River between 1953 and 1987. During this time, the following family housing units at Camp Lejeune were affected by toxic contaminated water:

• Tarawa Terrace I
• Tarawa Terrace II
• Midway Park
• Berkeley Manor
• Knox Landing
• Watkins Village
• Paradise Point
• Camp Knox Trailer Park
• Camp Johnson
• Camp Geiger
• MCAS New River
• Holcomb Boulevard
• Courthouse Bay
• Hospital Point

In October 2010, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program wrote a letter declaring that the drinking water at the base presented a health hazard.

The declaration came decades too late for many of the marines and families that lived on the base for years, drinking and bathing in water that was heavily contaminated. Some chemical contaminants were found at levels nearly 4,000 times higher than deemed safe for human consumption.

Camp Lejeune Water Linked to Multiple Cancers: CDC Study

In a landmark study released in late January 2024, researchers from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) compared the rate of cancer diagnosis among 154,821 veterans and 6,494 civilian workers who were stationed at Camp Lejeune between 1975 and 1985, against 163,484 veterans and 5,797 civilian workers stationed at Camp Pendleton during he same timeframe, where water was not reportedly contaminated.

Researchers gathered data by linking with 54 cancer registries across the United States, which documented all primary invasive cancers and bladder cancer cases from 1996 to 2017.

Findings from the study indicated a statistically significant increased risk of several types of cancer among the individuals stationed at Camp Lejeune in comparison to those at Camp Pendleton, finding those stationed at Camp Lejeune were at an increased risk of;

• 63% increased risk of Lung cancer
• 40% increased risk of Myeloid cancers
• 38% increased risk of Leukemia & Lymphoma
• 32% increased risk of Breast cancer
• 27% increased risk of Esophagus cancer
• 22% increased risk of Thyroid cancer
• 21% increased risk of Larynx cancer
• 21% increased risk of Soft tissue cancers

The study suggests that chemical exposures at the base may be linked to a broader spectrum of cancers than previously recognized by the U.S. Navy.

Examples of Camp Lejeune Lawsuits

Prior to the passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, the U.S. Government and Department of Veterans Affairs denied claims and fought to avoid paying compensation to veterans and family members injured. In 2016, more than 850 Camp Lejeune Lawsuits were dismissed, since the water contamination was discovered long after the North Carolina Statute of Repose had expired. However, under the new Camp Lejeune law, individuals can pursue a lawsuit until August 10, 2024.

Camp Lejeune Birth Defects Lawsuit: A joint complaint was filed by six individuals who were each exposed to Camp Lejeune water in utero on August 22, 2022, indicating that their mothers drank, cooked and bathed in contaminated water before they were born. As a result, plaintiff’s indicate that they suffered various birth defects from the Camp Lejeune water, including scarred retinas and blindness, kidney birth defects, spinal disorders, low birth weight, hip malformations, skeletal anomalies, spina bifida occulta and a spinal malformation.

Camp Lejeune Multiple Myeloma Lawsuit: Son of a U.S. Marine exposed to Camp Lejeune water in the 1970s filed a lawsuit, alleging that he developed multiple myeloma decades later. Robert Park indicates that he regularly consumed the water playing sports and living with his family at Camp Lejeune between June 1975 and June 1979. Lawsuit alleges the Camp Lejeune water caused multiple myeloma that was diagnosed in August 2005.

Camp Lejeune Chronic Kidney Disease Lawsuit: Former U.S. Marine Victor Malafronte filed a lawsuit alleging that Camp Lejeune water caused chronic kidney disease and chronic interstitial nephritis, following service at the base in the 1960s. Although the U.S. government previously denied his claim in 2019, the lawsuit was filed weeks after the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was signed into law. As a result of the kidney problems from Camp Lejeune water, Malafronte, indicates that he was unable to maintain steady employment, experienced depression and other side effeects.

Camp Lejeune Aplastic Anemia Lawsuit: One of the first Camp Lejeune lawsuits was filed by Andrea Weiner, of Ohio, who developed Aplastic Anemia from the water, which is a serious blood condition caused by bone marrow development failure. Weiner claims that Aplastic Anemia was caused by exposure to TCE, PCE, vinyl chloride and benzene in Camp Lejeune’s water supply. The complaint indicates Weiner filed an administrative relief claim to the U.S. Navy in 2002, but was ultimately denied by the Navy’s failure to respond.

Camp Lejeune Ovarian Cancer Lawsuit: On August 11, 2022, a complaint was filed on behalf of three separate women, indicating that the Camp Lejeune water caused ovarian cancer to develop for each of them. One of the claims was a Camp Lejeune wrongful death lawsuit filed by the surviving husband of Charlotte Luthy, who lived in the Tarawa Terrace area from 1972 to 1974.

Camp Lejeune Class Action Lawsuit: A class action lawsuit over Camp Lejeune water contamination was filed by Donald Stringfellow on August 14, 2022, pursuing certification of his complaint to protect the statutory rights, opportunities and benefits accorded under the new law.

How to File A Camp Lejeune Water Lawsuit?

The ability to file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit was specifically authorized under the PACT Act of 2022, opening a two year window for individuals injured by the toxic water to pursue financial compensation. However, specific guidelines and requirements must be filed to file a case and obtain a Camp Lejeune settlement.

Prior to filing a lawsuit against the U.S. government, notice of the Camp Lejeune water contamination claim must be provided to the appropriate federal agency under the requirements of 28 U.S. Code § 2675.

The U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps posted information about how to file a claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, outlining the steps that must be taken to file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit. The agency indicates that even claims previously denied under the Federal Tort Claims Act over water contamination at Camp Lejeune, must still be refiled for consideration under the new law.

Each claimant must have filed a Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claim form (PDF), providing specific information about their claim, including:

• Status at time of exposure to Camp Lejeune water (Member of the Armed Forces; Military Family Member or Dependent; Civil Service Employee; Civilian; Contractor Working for Private Company on Base; Unborn Individual Exposed In Utero)
• Where you resided at the time of exposure (Terawa Terrace Housing; Hospital Point Housing; Other On-Base Housing; Outside of Camp Lejeune)
• Whether you worked at Hadnot Point Industrial Area in Camp Lejeune
• Nature of your injury (Personal Injury Caused by Water at Camp Lejeune; Wrongful Death Following Exposure to Camp Lejeune Water)
• Specific type of cancer or other injury that is the basis of the Camp Lejeune lawsuit

The form also requires that each individual specify the amount of their Camp Lejeune claim in U.S. dollars, certifying that it will be accepted as a full and final Camp Lejeune water settlement amount if offered by the U.S. Government. Failure to specific the total amount of the damages sought from the Camp Lejeune water contamination during this process may result in a forfeiture of your rights.

The completed CLJA claim form can be returned by email to CLclaims@us.navy.mil, or via U.S. Mail to:

A Camp Lejeune lawsuit can not be filed until the submitted claim is rejected in writing, sent by certified or registered mail, or if the government fails to make a final disposition within six months after it is filed.

While the Department of the Navy has indicated that it is committed to reviewing and resolving the claim forms in a timely manner, it is unknown at this time how they will be able to process the tens of thousands of Camp Lejeune claims that are being submitted.

If a Camp Lejeune Settlement is not reached within six months after the claim is submitted, a lawsuit can be filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, which has been granted exclusive jurisdiction over the claims. The deadline to file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit was set for 8/10/2024.