If you or anyone you know was exposed to water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between August 1953 and December 1987, that water was contaminated with toxic chemicals that may have caused or may still cause cancers or other illnesses.

Fortunately, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows veterans and civilians who were exposed to the water for 30 days or more to seek compensation for their injuries. Lawsuits under the Act must be filed in North Carolina federal court. There, lawsuits alleging veterans and their families were poisoned by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune are progressing quickly, with Elizabeth Cabraser of Lieff Cabraser serving as one of the court-appointed Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs.

Before you can file a lawsuit, however, you must file an administrative claim with the Navy.  The Navy maintains that all such claims must be submitted by August 9, 2024. Anyone who was exposed to the contaminated water, such as by drinking, bathing, or showering, can file a claim—whether you are a veteran who served on base, a family member who lived on base, a civilian who worked on base, or the relative of a loved one who died after drinking water on base. A Camp Lejeune Justice Act claim will not affect your VA benefits. If the Navy does not respond to your claim within six months, you may then file a lawsuit.

Although you can file a claim for any illness related to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, the government has identified certain illnesses it admits can be caused by this exposure, including kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, liver cancer, bladder cancer, multiple myeloma, Parkinson’s disease, end-stage renal (kidney) disease, and systemic sclerosis or scleroderma.

We recommend you contact an attorney to help you file your claim with the Navy and your subsequent lawsuit. The information you provide to the Navy in your administrative claim may limit what you can seek in a lawsuit.

For a free review of your Camp Lejeune claim use the form on this page, or contact Lieff Cabraser at CampLejeuneIntakes@LCHB.com or call us at 1 800 541-7358.