Slater & Zurz represents victims injured by water contamination at NC military base Camp Lejeune.
The experienced team of Ohio personal injury attorneys at Slater & Zurz is offering mass tort representation to any individual injured by water contamination at Camp Lejeune, a military base in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Those eligible for compensation for illnesses caused by water contamination at the base include Marines, family members of Marines, and any other individuals who worked, lived, or served at the base between 1953 and 1987.
On August 10, 2022, the PACT Act was signed into law by the Biden Administration. The PACT Act serves as the greatest coverage increase military veterans and their families have seen in three decades. Included in the PACT Act is the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, which allows those injured by the base’s contaminated water supply to finally receive compensation.
A significant part of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 is the statute of limitations extension. The act extends the time limit for taking legal action until August 24, 2024.
The signing of the bill into law has been anticipated for months. Ohio firm Slater & Zurz is working with victims and their family members to establish the documentation needed to prove eligibility for compensation.
Over one million individuals were exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune. Those hoping to be compensated for illnesses caused by exposure to toxic chemicals at the military base can contact an attorney at Slater & Zurz to begin the process of filing a claim.
Camp Lejeune was established as a 246-square-mile U.S. military base in 1942. It was not until 1982 that the U.S. Military discovered that water supplied by two of the base’s water treatment plants was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
After continued tests, the plants were shut down in 1985. It took another two years for contaminants to be purged from the water systems, which is why the new act extends until 1987.
Site testing shows that Camp Lejeune’s water supply was contaminated by several toxic chemicals. Individuals stationed at the base were exposed to the toxins by using the water for drinking, bathing, and washing laundry. Testing shows evidence of chemicals, including trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, and benzene.
The chemicals found in the water at Camp Lejeune are linked to a large number of serious health concerns. Some are known to directly cause specific illnesses, while others are associated with an increased risk of developing certain conditions.
Individuals exposed to water at the base are at risk of developing a range of health conditions that include adult-onset leukemia, aplastic anemia, and other forms of myelodysplastic syndromes, kidney, liver, or bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Parkinson’s disease.
The chemicals found in Camp Lejeune water are known to directly cause the illnesses listed above. However, they also increase the risk of several other health conditions.
Health care coverage and potential compensation are also available for additional conditions, including breast cancer, esophageal cancer, female infertility, hepatic steatosis, leukemia, lung cancer, miscarriage, neurobehavioral effects, renal toxicity, and scleroderma.
The act also makes it possible for individuals exposed to Camp Lejeune toxins while in utero to gain compensation over these illnesses, as well as birth defects that can be proven to be caused by the contaminants in the base’s water supply.
Individuals hoping to gain compensation for an illness caused by toxin exposure at Camp Lejeune must meet the eligibility criteria established by the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. Those hoping to file a claim must have a diagnosis of one of the medical conditions listed above.
Eligibility requirements also require that at least 30 nonconsecutive days must have been spent on the base between the period of August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987. Compensation under the terms of the act is not available for those who are separated from the military with a dishonorable discharge.
Individuals who meet these criteria may be eligible for both monetary compensation and healthcare coverage. Compensation can also extend to reimbursement for past medical expenses paid for the treatment of illnesses caused by toxin exposure through contaminated water.
Proving eligibility can be achieved through providing proof in the form of medical bills, service records, employment records, base housing records, and other types of documentation.
The attorneys at Slater & Zurz are currently assessing new cases for eligibility. Meeting the eligibility requirements may necessitate different types of documentation, depending on whether a victim is a Marine, guardsman, reservist, employee, or family member.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 makes long-awaited compensation possible for those injured by the Camp Lejeune water supply. The attorneys at Slater & Zurz are working with victims to collect the documentation they need to provide proof of eligibility and initiate the claims process on their behalf.
Slater & Zurz is a personal injury law firm with offices across the state of Ohio. The firm’s personal injury lawyers are committed to helping those impacted by the devastating illnesses caused by Camp Lejeune’s water contamination.
Camp Lejeune’s water contamination is only the most recent mass tort action handled by the legal team at Slater & Zurz. The firm has a long track record of representing clients in large-scale actions, including those concerning Johnson & Johnson talc powder, hernia mesh, paraquat, and asbestos.
Nearly a third of lawsuits and claims related to asbestos are filed by Navy veterans and other government shipyard workers. The injury attorneys at Slater & Zurz are experienced in handling veteran and government employee injury claims on a large scale.
Slater & Zurz serves as home to an award-winning team of Ohio attorneys with offices in Akron, Canton, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati. The firm’s attorneys are available to travel to meet military veterans and their families who live in other cities or who are unable to travel due to illness. Slater & Zurz is a leading personal injury law firm in Ohio. Our personal injury attorneys hold a number of awards and peer recognitions and routinely produce six and seven-figure results in their personal injury compensation cases. The legal team at Slater & Zurz has jointly authored several books on commonly asked legal questions and offers an annual scholarship program to college-bound high school students in Ohio. Speak with one of our Camp Lejeune lawyers in regard to the Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit.
