Camp Lejeune’s water supply was severely contaminated for over thirty years, from 1953 to 1987. As of August 2022, anyone who was exposed to that water can request compensation. Here are three steps to filing your claim:
Step 1: Proving Your Were In Camp Lejeune
Gather any evidence that will prove you were at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987. Medical records will also be required to demonstrate that you or a family member has been harmed.This step will determine eligibility. Once you have your paperwork, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Filing a Camp Lejeune Claim
The next part of the process is filing a Form 95 claim. A Standard Form 95 is used for claims against the US federal government. This is in accordance with the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). People can submit such claims for damage to property, personal injury, product liability, and more. The Camp Lejeune lawsuit falls into the category of the latter two.
Once you have filled out the Camp Lejeune claim with all of the required information, the government will either deny or accept the claim within 180 days. At this point, you will need to hire a lawyer. Finding a good Camp Lejeune lawyer may be tough, but we can help.
Learn more about choosing a lawyer here.
Step 3: Filing a Lawsuit
Lastly, you will need to file a complaint in court. Once you have pleaded your case, your lawsuit begins. In the Camp Lejeune lawsuit, the defendant is the United States government, which is represented by the Department of Justice. You and all people affected by the Camp Lejeune water contamination are the claimants.
Since the case is still new to the legal field, it remains unclear how much the settlement amounts will be. However, the US government has promised a total of 6.7 billion dollars for the purpose of paying Camp Lejeune victims. It is estimated that someone could receive up to $1 million or even more in compensation, depending on the case.
To understand what your rights are, it is important to know more about the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, signed by President Biden on August 10, 2022.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act
The US government and the Marine Corps are both finally doing their part after years of protests. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was passed under the Honoring Our PACT Act. According to this law, the people who were affected by the water contamination have exactly two years from when it was signed in order to file their claims.
On top of monetary recovery, veterans are also getting the recognition they deserve after many years. The law recently expanded the compensation and benefits for anyone who was harmed by the water at Camp Lejeune during the years of contamination. In other words, any veteran with any of the “presumptive conditions” listed below can file a VA benefits claim and receive health care and financial aid. Other than veterans, reservists and guardsmen are also covered and can apply.
Presumptive conditions:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
To conclude, it is highly important that the person filing for VA benefits was not dishonorably discharged from the military. Hence, if a person qualifies, they should act now and file their Camp Lejeune claim.