In Jacksonville, there is the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, a military training establishment. The local residents, visitors, and military personnel who resided at the base between 1953 and 1987 suffered from deadly health conditions as they either drank or bathed in the contaminated water filled with toxicants at high concentrations.
With the commencement of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, the victims of Camp Lejeune water contamination can get compensation if they fit the eligibility standard by filing a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.
The Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit attorneys can help the victims get justice by obtaining maximum compensation by providing residence proof, medical records, the severity of the health condition, and evidence of other damages victims suffered to the court.
What are the Eligibility Criteria for Filing a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit?
You should remember that only reservists, veterans, and guardsmen who served at Camp Lejeune are eligible for the compensation. By filing Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuits, the eligible victims will receive health care benefits and compensation for the total damage they suffered.
You might be qualified to file the Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit if you have met the basic conditions, like:
1. You lived at MCAS New River or camp for at least 30 days from August 1953 to December 1987 and did not obtain a dishonorable release when you were discharged from the military.
2. You must be suffering from one or more health conditions that are associated with drinking contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. These health conditions include aplastic anemia, kidney cancer, adult leukemia, multiple myeloma, bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, liver cancer, and parkinson’s disease.
While filing the disability compensation claim, it is mandatory to provide proof supporting your stay at the camp while being active in the military. In addition, you must provide the official medical records that you are diagnosed with any of the above eight health conditions.
Can the Family Members of the Veterans File a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit?
From August 1953 to December 1987, the family members of the veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune for a minimum of 30 days could receive health care benefits.
With this lawsuit, the family members can get compensation for the health care expenses if they are diagnosed with one or more of the below 15 health conditions:
- Lung cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Multiple myeloma
- Female infertility
- Miscarriage
- Hepatic steatosis
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
There are some mandatory eligibility conditions that the family members of the veteran must meet to get this compensation.
- The family members should show an official document stating their relationship to the veteran, like a birth certificate, marriage certificate, government-backed identity card, etc.
- The family members should show a credible document showing that they resided at Camp Lejeune for a minimum of a 30-day period between August 1953 and December 1987.
- It is mandatory to show the medical records of the family members that they are suffering from any of the 15 health conditions.
- The family members must also provide proof that they have paid for the healthcare expenses. The compensation will differ for those who lived at the camp from August 1, 1953, to December 31 and from January 1, 1957, to December 31, 1987.
Bottom Line
The military personnel and their family members who lived at Camp Lejeune between a certain period (1953 to 1987) can get compensation and healthcare benefits after filing the lawsuit if they pass the eligibility conditions. It is important to hire professional Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit lawyers to pursue appropriate remedies from the contamination.
