Veterans, military staff and family members must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a Camp Lejeune water contamination claim. DONATE TODAY: Support The MOAA Foundation and the MOAA Scholarship Fund. You served, lived, or worked on the Camp Lejeune base for at least one month between 1953 and 1987. To qualify for disability compensation, you must not have received a dishonorable discharge. This testing revealed that Camp Lejeunes water supply contained high levels of chemicals that are known to be toxic and linked to cancer. That 6-month deadline expires on Friday for the earliest CLJA admin claims. Financial Services Center The Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits dismissal created public outrage because it meant that thousands of innocent victims (including military veterans and their families) would be denied compensation for serious injuries. The law does expand VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. Reports have suggested the issues could affect . It has now been almost six months since the first group of claims was filed after the CLJA became law. As the bill is currently written, claimants must file their suits within two years after the CLJA is enacted. Well never try to sell you a product or ask you to pay for help getting VA benefits. Our lawyers also speculate about potential individual per-person settlement payouts for a Camp Lejeune lawsuit. Last week, lawyers for the government filed another brief in support of their motion to dismiss the Camp Lejeune legacy cases that were refiled after the passage of the CLJA without resubmitting new admin claims to JAG. Under the new CLJA, civil lawsuits can now be brought on behalf of former employees or residents of Lejeune who are now deceased because of injuries related to the contaminated water. The volume of new Camp Lejeune civil lawsuit filings in the Eastern District of North Carolina exploded last week with 360 Camp Lejeune victims filing CLJA lawsuits over the week. Plaintiffs Argue Lawsuits over Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Do Not Fulham) advising that the water supply wells were poisoned. Once again, no action was taken by the Marine Corps. Claimants who file a lawsuit under the CLJA would need to prove that they were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 and that they subsequently developed one of the cancer types or other health conditions that have been linked to the water contamination. But the lawsuit must be initiated by the estates personal representative on behalf of the family members for the death. For the VA to presume your condition was related to Camp Lejeune water you must have served at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River between Aug. 1953 and Dec. 1987. A judge in the Eastern District of North Carolina has dismissed eight of the Camp Lejeune legacy cases for failing to refile administrative claims with JAG after the CLJA was passed. This law is also called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. Camp Lejeune lawsuits have dominated the airwaves and veterans email accounts for the past few months, especially since the passage of the Sergeant First ClassHeath RobinsonHonoring Our Promises to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT)Actof 2022. Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit | Morgan & Morgan Law Firm The full-time range of the Camp Lejeune water contamination (in both treatment facilities) is from 1953 to 1987. The ATSDR study looked at birth defect rates for women who resided at Camp Lejeune at some point during pregnancy and had children born between 1968 and 1985. If this pace continues, we will see about 1,500 new Camp Lejeune civil cases filed each month, which would give us over 12,000 by the end of the year. Presumptive conditions are established by law or regulation. How to Join the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit - Dolman Law Group None of the initial claims have been settled (JAG never even collected supporting documents for the claims). The case settled and I got a lot more money than I expected. Meanwhile, the DOJ has filed a motion asking for an extension of its deadline to file answers to the new CLJA cases pending a decision on the recent motion to consolidate. Compensation is only available to individuals who were exposed to Camp Lejeune's contaminated water between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. March 20, 2023 Update 260 Lawsuits and Climbing. Camp Lejeune, a military base in North Carolina, has been facing an alarming water contamination issue that has affected the health of many individuals living on or near the base. Military service members must meet all the following criteria to qualify for a Camp Lejeune-related VA disability claim: A Veteran, Reservist, or . VA Finalizes Presumptive Diseases Rule for Camp Lejeune Toxic Water The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has finalized a rule for presumptive service-connection of eight diseases associated with contaminants in the water supply at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987. GOALS FOR THE 118TH CONGRESS: Learn more about MOAA's top priorities on Capitol Hill. Call our lawyers today at 800-553-8082 or get a free online consultation if you have a potential Camp Lejeune lawsuit. We want to avoid giving the JAG a technical reason to reject an early settlement of your claim. For Camp Lejeune Victims Exposed to Toxic Water, a New Law Promises Compensationand Closure. February 22, 2023 Update Government Encourages Victims to Make Two Claims. If you meet the service requirements for Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible to enroll in VA health care. We do not want to set settlement payout expectations through the roof. STATE REPORT CARD: An updated guide to taxes and more, exclusive to MOAA members. Some motions have been referred to Judge Terrence W. Boyle Jr., while Judge Louise Wood Flanagan will decide others. But we now have something close. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act grants the claims an exception from governmental immunity protections and other laws and allows for claimants to file lawsuits in the Eastern District of North. Ron even fought to reduce how much I owed in medical bills so I could get an even larger settlement. In just five days last week, 179 new Camp Lejeune civil lawsuits were filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The statements from the VA are aimed at clarifying that VA disability benefits are still available to those who bring Camp Lejeune lawsuits under the CLJA. That is a stunning and tragic number of babies enduring permanent and avoidable injuries. The other school of thought is that even the CBO cannot project this. The CLJA circumvents the North Carolina statute of repose and allows victims to file lawsuits in federal court if they were exposed (even in-utero) to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days. No one knows yet. LinkedIn, Copyright 2023 Military Officers Association of America In 2005, the EPA and the Department of Justice launched a formal investigation into the USMCs handling of the Camp Lejeune water contamination issue. Camp Lejeune (luh-jern) is a large military base near Jackson, North Carolina. Camp Lejeune is the traditional home base of many resident Marine Corps commands, including the II Marine Expeditionary Force. So will there be an offset for those benefits? More than 100 lawsuits filed in U.S. court over Camp Lejeune water Damages for a wrongful death claim in North Carolina can be awarded for (1) medical expenses, (2) pain & mental suffering, (3) the decedents lost earnings, (4) loss of the decedents services and companionship, and (5) funeral expenses. But, most likely, it pushes settlement compensation higher than lower because of the politics of being on the right side of veterans. It has now been over one month since the first Camp Lejeune victims who filed claims under the CLJA became eligible to file civil lawsuits. December 26, 2022 Risk of Inconsistent Verdicts in North Carolina. The weekly volume of new Camp Lejeune civil cases has more than doubled each week since the start of this month. Camp Lejeune Lawsuit | April 2023 Update - Lawsuit Information Center Section 804 of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act addresses people who lived at Camp Lejeune. A recently filed CLJA civil lawsuit, Freshwater v. United States (7:23-cv-00167), highlights the tragic circumstances of many Camp Lejeune victims. There are two schools of thought on this. Why? What are the most common cancers diagnosed from Camp Lejeune? The CBO subsequently issued another report which revised its estimate for how much the CLJA claims would cost. Our lawyers handle claims for victims seeking to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit in all 50 states. At least two judges in the Eastern District of North Carolina will be ruling on these identical motions. The court must reduce (or offset) the award by the amount of any related disability award, payment, or benefit we provided to you or your legal representative. If a law firm or other company says you cant get VA benefits without their help, this is incorrect. 6482 2(c). The contamination at the Tarawa plant was traced to ABC One-Hour Cleaners, a nearby dry-cleaning business. Beware of Camp Lejeune Scams When Looking for Legal Help Call (800) 995-1212 or get a free case review today to learn more before the August 2024 deadline. A survival claim is the decedents own personal injury claim that they had and which survives their death. The chemicals in the Camp Lejeune water supply for four decades are well-known to be highly harmful to the human body. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found that only 30-day continuous exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during the years between 1953 and 1987 may qualify veterans and their family members for health benefits if they suffer leukemia, bladder cancer, liver cancer, kidney cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, miscarriage, neurobehavioral effects, and the autoimmune disease scleroderma.