VA Mishandled Prior Camp Lejeune Claims
Attention has been drawn to the Camp Lejeune Act that now allows those who suffered illness after ingesting contaminated water between the years of 1953 – 1987 a chance for compensation.
Previously, more than 57,000 claims had been made to the Department of Veteran Affairs pertaining to illness linked to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The toxic water exposure spanned more than 30 years at the base, exposing more than 1 million people, according to the VA Office of Inspector General.
Since 2017, the VA has denied nearly 40% of the claims from individuals who visited, worked at, or were stationed at Camp Lejeune. These claims were denied due to lack of asking the proper questions, therefore cheating roughly 20,000 veterans from financial compensation they deserved. This amount totaled over 14 million dollars.
Now, those whose claims were previously denied have another chance for justice. On August 10th President Joe Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 into law. This act allows military veterans and their families who may have been exposed to tainted water at Camp Lejeune between the years of 1953-1987 to file a lawsuit against the federal government. The act also restricts the government from asserting any claim to immunity.
The VA is preparing for a massive influx of cases by providing additional training for VA officials to handle the Camp Lejeune claims according to the Veteran Benefits Administration. Veterans can now refile for previously denied benefits, along with those who were exposed but had not filed a claim in the past.
Injuries related to exposure include various cancers, birth defects, infertility, miscarriage, neurological issues, renal failure, and more.
If you or a loved one was exposed to the drinking water at Camp Lejeune between the years 1953 – 1987 and have sustained serious adverse health conditions, please contact one of our highly reputable attorneys for a free case evaluation at 1 (800) YOST-LAW.