If you were exposed to water contamination at Tarawa Camp Lejeune and have a serious illness, you can consult an attorney who can help you seek financial compensation and show how the base’s water supply caused your condition. Anyone at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 likely came into contact with the base’s drinking water, which was tainted with various dangerous chemicals.
As the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) notes, U.S. Marines and their families housed at Tarawa Terrace between November 1957 and February 1987 unknowingly used drinking water that contained tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a dry cleaning solvent. If you or a family member lived in Tarawa Terrace during this time and now have a critical illness, you could pursue a case for compensation from the U.S. government.
How Did Chemicals Get into the Water Supply at Tarawa Terrace?
PCE contamination occurred when the solvent leaked from a nearby dry cleaner business into the groundwater that supplied water to the Tarawa Terrace drinking water system, according to ATSDR. The water treatment plant closed in 1987, but people had used the contaminated water for more than three decades by that point.
Camp Lejeune opened in the early 1940s, but it wasn’t until the early 1980s that military chemists tested various sites on the base and confirmed the presence of chemicals. Officials confirmed that the drinking water during these 30 years contained high and unsafe levels of PCE.
Camp Lejeune Survivors Can Seek Compensation for Tarawa Terrace Water-Related Illnesses
In August 2022, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA), part of the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022, became law. It allows former Marines, their families, and others who worked at or visited Camp Lejeune to file compensation claims against the U.S. government for any illnesses or losses related to the contaminated water supply. Anyone who spent time at the base from August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 for at least 30 days can file a claim for awards that can help them pay the expenses of their illnesses, including those for their:
- Medical and rehabilitation expenses, including any emergency care and future care
- Lost income and benefits
- Reduced or lost earning ability
- Pain and suffering
- Impaired quality of life
- Wrongful death damages (if you lost a family member who had a critical illness and spent time at Camp Lejeune)
For a free legal consultation, call (888) 796-6660
VA Recognizes a Link Between Contaminated Water and Various Illnesses
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) formally recognizes certain medical conditions that can be traced back to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. It also offers benefits to Camp Lejeune survivors who have any of the following conditions:
- Adult leukemia
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
VA also recognizes other conditions that could result from Camp Lejeune. They are:
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Parkinson’s disease
- Birth defects
- Breast cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Hepatic steatosis
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
This is not a comprehensive list. You may have a diagnosis for a medical condition not listed here that could be related to your stay at Camp Lejeune. You can consult a medical professional for more help.
Getting Legal Help for a Camp Lejeune Case
If you were exposed to water contamination at Tarawa Terrace at Camp Lejeune, you can consult with a personal injury attorney who can help you prepare your case to show how your medical condition relates to your time at the base. Working with an attorney can save you time and help you check off all the boxes to ensure you fill out the paperwork correctly and on time.
A legal professional handling a Camp Lejeune claim or lawsuit will take care of the following in your case:
- Gather evidence to show the link between your illness and your time at Camp Lejeune. This includes collecting medical records that confirm your diagnosis and your military service record, which confirms the dates you were at Camp Lejeune.
- Identify all parties liable in the Tarawa Terrace contaminated water
- Manage all calls, emails, and other correspondence between parties
- Assess your damages and determine how much compensation you can seek
- Speak with witnesses and expert witnesses, such as medical experts, to determine how your illness affects you and your family
- Prepare and file your lawsuit on time by the proper deadline
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We Can Help You with a Tarawa Terrace Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Case
The attorneys at Ben Crump Law, PLLC can help you and your family determine what to do if you or another family member was exposed to water contamination at Tarawa Terrace at Camp Lejeune. Even though the water was affected by chemicals long ago, you still have a right to make a case for compensation and hold all liable parties accountable for the toxic water supply that caused your illness and suffering.
Call us today for a free consultation. We can review your situation and explain your legal options. We will fight for your financial awards without any upfront attorney’s fees. We only recover payment if we recover awards for you.
Call or text (888) 796-6660 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
