Many news stories are emerging, highlighting the disturbing toxic water incident that plagued Camp Lejeune during the 1950s. From approximately 1953 to 1987, toxic water levels caused millions of people to be exposed to contaminated water that caused life-long and fatal diseases. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until recently in 2022 that people were granted the ability to file civil lawsuits for compensation.
Below are some of the many reasons why the PACT act came a little too late, but can still have the potential of helping many exposed to toxic water in Camp Lejeune. If you want to know more about the Camp Lejeune toxic water diseases, visit Dolman Law’s website (https://www.dolmanlaw.com/blog/diseases-linked-camp-lejeune-water-contamination/)
Why Was Water Contaminated?
The water in Camp Lejeune was contaminated due to toxic water runoff from the ABC One-Hour Cleaners, an off-base dry cleaning firm. These chemicals used to strip away germs and dirt, and which were toxic to human health, were poured freely into the water supply that leaked into the groundwater in Camp Lejeune.
How Did People Get Sick?
It’s important to understand just how vast of a problem the toxic water from Camp Lejeune was, and still is today. As many as one million people might have been exposed to the toxic water in Camp Lejeune. This is because toxic water seemed into the ground and in wells.
The water in these wells was transferred throughout the base, exposing people working in hospitals, including patients and healthcare workers, women and men living on base, their families, and any other family that might have lived with them on base.
The VA believes that people highest at risk of developing a disease were those that drank the water for 30 consecutive days between 1953 and 1987. This means you need to have drank the water in Camp Lejeune for almost a month if you want to qualify for any type of disability.
What Can Sick People Do Now?
The people that drank water from Camp Lejeune now face devastating diseases as a result. Some of the many diseases that affected people thanks to toxic water runoff include:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with one of these diseases, and you or a loved one lived on Camp Lejeune for 30 days between 1953 and 1987, it’s important to apply for VA disability benefits as soon as possible.
President Biden recently signed the PACT act into effect on August 8, 2022. People have 2 years from the signing of this bill to file their claim for VA disability. A VA disability claim can help people earn monthly income to help compensate for their disability.
However, if you are denied a claim due to not proving enough time on base, difficulty proving you ingested the water, or issues with medical paperwork, it’s important to get the help of legal counsel.
