As someone who has put their well-being and security at risk to protect our nation, you would understandably be furious to find out that your health has been jeopardized. If you have served in Jacksonville, North Carolina at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, your body system may have been exposed to polluted water. As a result, you may have been diagnosed with a condition that is now altering your health and way of life. While money cannot undo the harm that has been done, it is important that you know you could be eligible for VA disability payments. Seeking legal recourse from the offenders of the waterway pollution can bring a sense of justice to an incredulous situation.
Camp Lejeune Poisoning
You may or may not have heard of the Camp Lejeune water pollution and poisoning. If you are not sure whether your condition is connected to this occurrence, a mass tort lawyer can educate you on what happened and whether pursuing compensation is in your best interest. If you served between the dates of August 1952 and December 1987, it is strongly recommended that you speak with a law firm immediately, such as the team from Cohen & Cohen. A dry cleaner in the area, One-Hour Cleaners, was responsible for dumping contaminants into the drinking water at Camp Lejeune. Specifically, the solvent perchloroethylene was improperly disposed of into the water, however, the military also contributed to this contamination by spilling trichloroethylene and benzene which was being used for cleaning equipment and weapons at the time. These chemicals are highly hazardous and are not supposed to be ingested.
Illness Related To Contamination
There are several serious health issues that are linked to the chemicals found in the water at Camp Lejeune. Primarily, cancer is one of the biggest concerns of those who were exposed to these hazardous chemicals, but it is not the sole condition connected to these toxic substances. Examples of cancers that could be caused from the Camp Lejeune pollution include kidney cancer, liver cancer, thyrotoxic cancer, stomach cancer, urethral cancer, lymphatic cancer, leukemia, and more. Along with cancer, these diagnoses could have developed from ingesting the poisoned water:
- Cardiac problems
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms
- Anemia aplastic
- Scleroderma
- Nephrotoxicity
- Parkinson’s
- Fatty liver syndrome
- Brain tumor
- Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
- Body irregularities
What You Can Do Now
Those who have served and their families may have to endure what could have been prevented if only people were more careful with how they handled and disposed of toxic chemicals. Dumping toxic material into a drinking waterway can cause serious damage to the human body. If you suspect that your condition was the result of Camp Lejeune exposure, what you can do now is prepare to consult with a legal team who is knowledgeable about this event. You could be someone who is eligible for lost income, medical costs, out-of-pocket expenses, disability, pain and suffering, loss of social interaction, loss of companionship, emotional stress, and more. Consider meeting with a lawyer as soon as you can if you think you have a case.
