The North Carolina accident and tort lawyers at the Rhine Law Firm applaud Congressional efforts to provide justice and an easier pathway to compensation for those sickened by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. We represent people from North Carolina and throughout the United States who developed cancer and other serious systemic illnesses as a result of their drinking water on campus during the target years.

How does the Camp Lejeune Justice Act overcome massive legal hurdles in North Carolina?

Under North Carolina law, a person who is sickened or injured as a result of exposure to a toxic substance must generally file an injury lawsuit within three years after the exposure or injury is discovered. North Carolina is also one of a small number of states that preclude pollution-related injury lawsuits if more than ten years have elapsed since the contamination date.

Many Camp Lejeune water contamination claims arose more than ten years ago, and those claims would be time-barred and subject to dismissal if they were filed in a North Carolina court. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act Legislation specifically overrides the State’s three-year statute of limitations and allows injured and sickened parties to file their lawsuits within two years after enactment of the legislation. This means that military personnel and their families have until August 2024 to file their claims for compensation.

What benefits does the Camp Lejeune Justice Act Provide?

Government officials have known since at least 1982 that water sources at Camp Lejeune were contaminated with benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), and other organic carcinogenic chemicals that had leaked out from underground storage tanks and waste disposal sites. Anecdotally, personnel who were stationed at Camp Lejeune exhibited higher rates of cancer, cardiac problems, and other systemic illnesses, yet the Veterans Administration consistently denied any connection between the Camp’s contaminated water and those illnesses.

The Act also lowers the bar imposed by barriers under the Feres Doctrine that preclude members of the military from suing the government for injuries they incurred while on active duty.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, or other long-term illnesses and you had been stationed at Camp Lejeune, you may be entitled to substantial compensation from the federal government.

How can victims prepare to take action?

Many members of the armed services and others exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 likely did not realize that they were exposed to carcinogens and other toxic substances in the Camp’s water supply. If you or someone in your family are part of that population, you can take action to collect the compensation you deserve by collecting your military service records that show you were at Camp Lejeune and your medical records that show diagnoses of cancer, heart disease, or other major health problems. This information will help a toxic torts lawyer establish the strength and value of your claim.

Call the Rhine Law Firm for More Information About Your Rights Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act

When it really matters, you need an accident and injury attorney who understands what is at stake and your full rights to collect damages under powerful laws like the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.

The local Wilmington Injury lawyers at the Rhine Law Firm fight for the compensation that servicemen and their families are entitled to recover under the Act. Call us if you have questions about your eligibility to file a claim to recover your damages for your Camp Lejeune-related illnesses. We will pursue your lawsuit with the same tireless devotion that you gave to the service of your country.