Although it is believed that up to one million military personnel and their family members were affected by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, most victims have seen no compensation or benefits from the U.S. government. Many lawsuits were dismissed or delayed past the statute of limitations, preventing victims from claiming damages for their suffering. The passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 changes that, allowing those affected to file suit, even if they previously filed a lawsuit or received benefits from Veterans Affairs.
Water at Camp Lejeune Linked to Multiple Diseases and Conditions
Contaminants in the Camp Lejeune water supply from the 1950s to 1980s have been linked to a disturbing number of illnesses and injuries. As part of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, the list of conditions associated with exposure that may qualify victims for compensation has grown exponentially to include the following:
- Aplastic anemia
- Babies being small for gestational age
- Bladder cancer
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cardiac defects
- Cervical cancer
- End-stage renal disease
- Esophageal cancer
- Eye defects
- Fetal death
- Hepatic steatosis
- Hodgkin lymphoma
- Impaired immune system function
- Infertility
- Kidney cancer
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Liver cirrhosis
- Low birth weight
- Lung cancer
- Major malformations
- Miscarriage
- Mood effects (anxiety or depression)
- Multiple myeloma
- Nasal passages blocked with bone tissue
- Neural tube defects
- Neurobehavioral effects (performance deficits such as delayed recall or ALS)
- Neurological effects (memory loss, attention or color blindness)
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Oral cleft defects
- Ovarian cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Prostate cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Skin disorders
- Soft tissue cancer
Many of these conditions can take years to surface. Even if you have not been diagnosed but were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, it’s important to continue screening yourself for signs and symptoms.
