How Can a Civilian Affected by the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination File a Lawsuit

According to the National World, The Camp Lejeune contaminated water scandal could become the largest mass litigation in American history, with over one million people affected by using the water at the North Carolina Marine Corps base over 30 years.

Camp Lejeune water contamination was a disaster that affected many people’s lives. It’s good news that this has finally come to light, but unfortunately, most of the attention has been given to the Veterans and their families who were exposed to the contamination. There is little information about the many contractor personnel, civilians, and their families who were among those affected by the incident.

If you or anyone in your family was exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune between 1957-1987, you might be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain, and suffering. Here’s how:

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Who Should File a Lawsuit against the Government

According to VA News, President Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 On August 10, 2022, which allows people exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune to file new lawsuits.

The following types of people should consider filing a Camp Lejeune lawsuit against the government:

Military personnel and their families who served at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987.
Veterans who served at Camp Lejeune between 1968 and 1985.
Civilians who lived or worked near Camp Lejeune, especially those with an increased risk of developing cancer due to exposure to contaminated water. For example, children are more likely than adults to develop leukemia.

Things You Can Do to Claim Your Legal Rights

If you feel that you were affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination, your best action is to file a claim with the Veterans Administration. This process can be confusing, but here’s what you should know:

File a claim as soon as possible. The VA has strict time limits on filing claims, so it’s best to get started immediately.
If your claim is denied, you have 30 days from the date of denial in which to appeal one time via an administrative review before taking legal action. So make sure this is done within those first thirty days.
If you’ve been denied twice and still feel like something wrong happened with either or both denials, contact an attorney immediately since they may be able to help guide you through this process and make sure no mistakes are made along the way.

Different Types of Camp Lejeune Lawsuits

There are several different types of lawsuits that civilians can use to address the water contamination problems at Camp Lejeune. The three most common forms are:

Class action lawsuits allow a group of people with similar injuries or damages to join as one lawsuit. This makes it easier for them to hire lawyers and use legal processes.

According to AboutLawsuits.com, a class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. government on August 14, 2022, on behalf of individuals injured by Camp Lejeune water contamination.

Individual lawsuits, where one person or family files a claim against the defendants over their experiences with the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. These claims may include both losses related to property damage and personal injury due to exposure to contaminated water and chemicals.
Group lawsuits are similar in some ways to class actions. The difference is that more than one plaintiff in a group lawsuit is filing at once.

Responsible Parties for Camp Lejeune Water Contamination

If you believe that you were affected by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune and are now suffering from a serious health problem as a result of it, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the government.

The government was responsible for contaminating the water on the base, and they are also responsible for compensating people who were affected.

What You Need to Prove in the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Case

As a civilian, if you were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, here’s what you need to prove in a lawsuit:

Exposure. You need to show that you were exposed to the contaminated water and that it caused the injury.
Injury. The injury must be one of the following: physical injury, disease, or birth defect with no physical manifestation of disease.
Causation. Proximate cause doctrine holds that only proximate causes count towards liability when there are multiple potential causes behind an event or incident. So plaintiffs would have to show that there was a direct link between their exposure and their illness or injury, such as through scientific causation studies or expert testimony.

Conclusion

Camp Lejeune water contamination is an ongoing problem that has affected many people. We hope this article has given you some insight into how you can protect yourself legally and get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.