Enacted into law in 2022, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act allowed veterans and civilians who were exposed to contaminated water at Marine Base Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more to seek compensation for their injuries as long as they submitted an administrative claim to the Navy by August 10, 2024. Lieff Cabraser helped many people exposed to the contaminated water submit claims before the deadline.

Camp Lejeune claims are progressing quickly in the Eastern District of North Carolina, with Elizabeth Cabraser serving as one of the court-appointed Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act allowed people exposed to the water to file a claim for any illness that could have been caused by Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water. However, government agencies had previously identified certain illnesses that can be caused by 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.

The North Carolina court has divided the litigation into “Tracks” based on disease. At this time, the Court and the parties are focused on preparing for trial of five “Track 1” diseases: bladder cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, Parkinson’s disease, and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Five plaintiffs with each disease have been selected as “bellwether” plaintiffs, meaning their cases will head to trial first. The outcome of these trials will hopefully inform a global resolution for all Track 1 disease.

The court has not yet set a date for Track 1 trials. After those trials conclude, the process will repeat for the “Track 2” diseases: prostate cancer, kidney disease, lung cancer, liver cancer, and breast cancer.

Although it is too late to submit new claims, please contact our office if you have any questions about the litigation. You can also find up-to-date information about the lawsuit at www.camplejeunecourtinfo.com, a website that the Court tasked us with updating in real time.