If you or a loved one worked, served, or resided at the Marine Corps Base at Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina from 1953 through 1987, you may have come into contact with dangerous toxins from the water there. Worse yet, medical tests and studies have revealed that there are a vast number of diseases and illnesses that can now be linked to these contaminants.
To provide you with some clarity regarding the Camp Lejeune water contamination and the devastating consequences that have come from it, we have prepared this post. In it, we will go over some of the diseases which are now linked to this toxic water and help you understand what legal remedies you may have and how an experienced personal injury attorney can help you fight for the damages and justice you deserve.
The History of Camp Lejeune and its Toxic Water
The toxic water at Camp Lejeune started in the 1950s when contaminated water entered the base through two of the area’s water treatment plants.
The water was polluted with over 70 different types of chemicals, including tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and benzene, and the sources behind these toxins included everything from waste disposal sites to leaking underground storage tanks, industrial area spills, and the improper waste disposal of chemicals by workers at the off-base dry cleaning company ABC One-Hour Cleaners.
As a result, around one million service members, their families, and other civilians on the base were exposed to this contaminated water and suffered greatly because of it.
Presumptive Conditions Associated With the Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs established a list of presumptive conditions associated with the contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune. Because of this list, those diagnosed with one of the below conditions only need to prove they were stationed at the base for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, to obtain disability benefits for the harm and losses they endured.
These conditions include:
Adult Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer that affects the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the lymphatic system and the bone marrow. As a result, the bone marrow in people with leukemia often produces an extra amount of abnormal white blood cells that do not function properly. These atypical white blood cells cannot fight infection and usually impair the ability of the bone marrow to produce healthy platelets and red blood cells.
Some of the more common symptoms of leukemia include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Severe infections
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Enlarged liver or spleen
- Bleeding or bruising easily
- Recurrent nosebleeds
- Unexplained weight loss
- Bone pain or tenderness
Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer affects the hollow muscular organ in your lower abdomen that holds urine.
Symptoms of bladder cancer frequently include:
- Blood in the urine
- A frequent urge to urinate
- Painful urination
- Back pain
Aplastic Anemia and Other Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
Aplastic anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are rare but severe disorders that affect your blood and bone marrow. With these disorders, many of your bone marrow’s stem cells are destroyed or harmed, which means that the bone marrow cannot produce an appropriate number of blood cells. In some instances, the syndromes may also result in damaged cells and the production of unhealthy blood cells, leaving you with a lack of working blood cells.
Symptoms of these disorders can include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Easy or unusual bleeding
- Excessive bruising
- Unusual paleness
- Tiny red spots on the skin
- Frequent infections
Kidney Cancer
Kidney cancer is a type of cancer that forms in the kidney and causes the cells there to mutate and grow out of control.
Symptoms of this disease will usually include:
- Blood in the urine
- Loss of appetite
- A loss of weight without trying
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Pain in your back or the side that does not disappear
Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is cancer that affects the foot-ball-sized organ in the upper right area of the belly or the liver.
Even though symptoms in the early stages are rare, the signs that tend to develop as the disease progresses:
- Weight loss include
- Belly pain
- Vomiting
- Yellowed skin
- Loss of appetite
- Upper abdominal pain
- General weakness and fatigue
- Abdominal swelling
- White, chalky stools
Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. When these cancerous plasma cells begin to accumulate in the bone marrow, they will crowd out the healthy blood cells and produce abnormal proteins that can cause numerous problems, including the inability to fight off infections.
Symptoms of multiple myeloma may include:
- Pain in the bones
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Mental fogginess
- Confusion
- Tiredness
- Frequent infections
- Weakness in the extremities
- Numbness in the legs
- Excessive thirst
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer that starts in the lymphatic system and causes the white blood cells, also called lymphocytes, to grow abnormally, which can result in growths or tumors throughout the body.
Symptoms of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can include:
- Swollen lymph nodes in the groin, neck, or armpits
- Abdominal pain
- Swelling around the abdomen
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Chest pain or coughing
- Trouble breathing
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system that affects movement and can include tremors. This disorder develops when the neurons slowly break down, causing dopamine levels to drop, ultimately leading to symptoms of Parkinson’s.
While this disease often starts with a tremor in the hand, other symptoms usually include:
- Loss of balance
- Stiffness
- More severe tremors
- Slowed movement
- Impaired posture
- Poor balance
- Rigidness
- Loss of automatic movements
- Speech changes
- Writing changes
Other Diseases Associated With the Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune
In addition to the presumptive conditions, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act also allows those exposed to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune to pursue legal action for the below conditions and diseases that this contamination causes.
Yet, although these other conditions do not qualify individuals for presumptive disability compensation, those suffering from these diseases and issues should still file a legal claim and go after damages because of the strong link between the toxic water at Camp Lejeune and the conditions.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer occurs when the breast cells begin to grow abnormally and start to divide more rapidly than the healthy cells, causing a mass or lump to form.
Breast cancer symptoms often include:
- Changes in the appearance of the breast, including size and shape
- A breast lump
- Thickening of the breast that feels different from the surrounding tissue
- Dimpling, or changes to the skin over the breast
- Inverted nipple
- Scaling, flaking, or crusting of the pigmented skin area surrounding the nipple or breast skin
- Pitting of the skin over your breast
- Redness
Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer is a cancer that occurs in the esophagus or the long, hollow tube that runs from your stomach to your throat. The esophagus helps transport the food you swallow to your stomach to be digested.
Symptoms of this disease include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Burning in the chest
- Worsening indigestion or heartburn
- Coughing
- Hoarseness
- Weight loss
- Chest pain and pressure
Female Infertility and Miscarriage
Female infertility refers to the inability to get pregnant within one year or six months if a woman is over the age of 35 and the woman is actively trying to conceive. In comparison, miscarriage is defined as the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week.
Symptoms of female infertility and miscarriage include:
- Bleeding from the vagina
- Spotting
- Cramps
- Severe belly pain
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Absent menstrual cycles
Hepatic Steatosis
This condition also referred to as nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease. The main characteristic of this disease is the storage of too much fat in the liver cells.
While this condition is not usually accompanied by any symptoms, some may still be present, including:
- Fatigue
- Abdominal discomfort in the right upper quadrant
- Swollen belly
- Signs of chronic liver disease
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer refers to a type of cancer that starts in the lungs or the organs that allow you to breathe. Lung cancer is also the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide.
Symptoms of this disease include:
- A persistent cough
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Hoarseness
- Weight loss, without trying
- Bone pain
- Coughing up blood
- Headaches
Neurobehavioral Effects
Neurobehavioral conditions relate to the relationship between the action of the nervous system and behavior.
Some of the more common examples of these neurobehavioral effects include:
- Poor memory
- Dementia
- Poor concentration
- Fatigue
- Motor problems
- PTSD
- Insomnia
Renal Toxicity
Renal toxicity is a condition that causes your kidneys to lose their ability to filter chemicals or toxins from your blood. When these toxins cannot be removed, they can accumulate to dangerous levels.
Symptoms of renal toxicity include:
- Decreased urine output
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Fluid retention
- Swelling in legs, ankles, and feet
- Weakness
- Irregular heartbeat
- Chest pain and pressure
- Seizures and coma
Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a group of diseases that tighten or harden of the skin. This disease can also result in issues to the internal organs, digestive tract, and blood vessels. Although there is no cure for scleroderma, there are treatments that can help slow the progression of this disease, improve the quality of life, and ease symptoms.
Symptoms of this disease typically include:
- Heartburn
- Difficulty swallowing
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Fecal incontinence
- Hardening or tightening of the skin
- Swelling
- Itchiness
- Skin lightening or darkening
- Skin becoming shiny
- Red spots on hands and face
- Fingers or toes turning red, blue, or white and becoming numb
- Shortness of breath
- Decreased exercise tolerance
- Dizziness
- Heartbeat irregularity or heart failure
Fight For the Justice You Deserve with an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one suffered from one of these devastating conditions or illnesses because of your exposure to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune from 1953 through 1987, you can now hold the government liable for this disaster and sue them for the financial damages you deserve. More importantly, with a skilled and knowledgeable personal injury attorney, you will not have to go after this money by yourself.
Instead, once you hire a legal team, they can:
- Review the facts of your case, go over in detail your diagnoses, and discuss your stay at Camp Lejeune.
- Determine if you have a viable claim and go over the legal options you may be able to pursue.
- Thoroughly investigate your case and obtain evidence to help prove the connection between the toxic water and your condition. This evidence can include your medical records, base records, housing records, and other information.
- Hire experts to help show that your disease and damages were due to exposure to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune.
- Provide you with the information, answers, and legal support you need during this challenging time in your life.
- Handle the negotiations with the other side and fight for a fair settlement offer.
- Proceed to take your case to trial if the other side is not willing to provide you the compensation you are entitled to, and fight for the total damages you not only need but deserve.
If you believe you have a valid claim and want to pursue a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, do not wait any longer to discuss your case with an experienced personal injury attorney. Instead, contact a lawyer today for your free case consultation and find out how they can help you finally obtain the justice and damages you are waiting for.
Gabriel Levin - Attorney
Gabriel Levin is a highly experienced and credible attorney with over 10 years of practice in Pennsylvania. Known for his tenacity, he has represented clients in a wide range of civil matters, trying hundreds of cases. He prepares each case as if it will go to trial, ensuring meticulous attention to detail.
Unlike many firms that delegate tasks, Levin personally handles every aspect of a case and maintains open communication with clients throughout. He has secured millions in compensation, making him a reliable choice for those seeking legal representation.
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