Camp Lejeune Leukemia Lawsuit: Top Attorneys for Leukemia Lawsuits and Settlements

Has Exposure to Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune Been Linked to Leukemia?

The effects of exposure to any dangerous chemicals depend on—

• When you are exposed (during pregnancy, in infancy, etc),
• How much you are exposed to,
• How long you are exposed,
• How you are exposed (breathing, drinking), and
• What your personal traits and habits are.

Therefore, not everyone who is exposed to toxic chemicals such as trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), benzene, or vinyl chloride exposure will develop a health issues or a health problem.  But, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) there have been health effects that have been linked to TCE, PCE, benzene, or vinyl chloride in populations other than Camp Lejeune who worked with or consumed drinking water contaminated with these toxic chemicals.

The ASTDR scientific studies have concluded that there is enough research to support a link between the Leukemia and Camp Lejeune water contamination.  Further, in 2009 the Navy requested that the National Research Council (NRC) undertake a study to assess the potential long-term health effects for individuals who served at North Carolina’s Marine Corps Military Base Camp Lejeune during the period of water contamination. In the 2009 report, “Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune, Assessing Potential Health Effects”, the NRC evaluated scientific studies regarding the potential health conditions associated with TCE, PCE, and other VOCs. The NRC determined that there is suggestive evidence of an association between the risk of leukemia and dangerous chemicals such as TCE, PCE, and Benzene solvent mixtures.

On August 6, 2012, Congress enacted the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. Section 102 of the Camp Lejeune Act established health care entitlement for veterans who served on active duty at military base Camp Lejeune for at least thirty days during the time period between January 1, 1957, through December 31, 1987, for treatment of the fourteen conditions identified by the NRC including adult leukemia.  The VA Technical Workgroup (TWG) found that at least one of internationally recognized scientific authorities cited concluded that there is strong evidence supporting a causal relationship between adult leukemia and TCE.

Based upon the results of the TWG analysis, the VA acknowledged the relationship between exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune and the subsequent development of the adult leukemia.  The VA then amended their disability benefit regulations and established a presumption of service connection associated with exposure to contaminants in the water supply at military base Camp Lejeune and those suffering with adult leukemia including lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

In addition to an increased risk of leukemia, there are fourteen other covered conditions for which the V.A. determined a presumptive service connection after they found sufficient evidence to show an association between exposure to Marine Corps Camp Lejeune’s tainted water and medical condition.  The list includes a number of different types of cancer as well as other presumptive conditions:

• Bladder cancer
• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Colon cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Female infertility
• Hepatic steatosis
• Kidney cancer and kidney disease
• Lung cancer
• Miscarriage
• Multiple myeloma
• Myelodysplastic syndromes including aplastic anemia and hematopoietic cancers
• Neurobehavioral effects
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
• Nervous system cancer
• Rectal cancer
• Renal toxicity and renal cancer
• Scleroderma

The scientific studies and scientific evidence, in addition to showing a high incidence of leukemia, also provide strong evidence tying Camp Lejeune water contamination to other illnesses including liver cancer, prostate cancer, and birth defects (including cardiac defects) for those who suffered maternal exposure to Camp Lejeune water contamination.

Camp Lejeune Leukemia Lawsuit

Finally, for the first time you can seek financial compensation for the harm you, or your loved one, suffered due to leukemia caused by the contaminated water at the base. On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins (PACT) Act of 2022. This law permits individuals who lived and worked at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base to seek compensation if they suffer from leukemia.

The PACT Act specifies that people who were exposed to the water at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more, between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, have limited time to submit their Camp Lejeune claims. Call the Marin and Barrett Law Firm today at 1-888-348-2735 so we can help you seek compensation. You don’t need any records or evidence when you call. We can help you gather that information and get started.

What is Leukemia?

Leukemia is cancer of the body’s blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system. Leukemia usually involves the white blood cells. Your white blood cells are potent infection fighters. They normally grow and divide in an orderly way, as your body needs them. But in people with leukemia, the bone marrow produces an excessive amount of abnormal white blood cells, which don’t function properly.

Leukemia symptoms vary, depending on the type of leukemia. Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Persistent fatigue, weakness
• Frequent or severe infections
• Losing weight without trying
• Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen
• Easy bleeding or bruising
• Recurrent nosebleeds
• Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)
• Excessive sweating, especially at night
• Bone pain or tenderness

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukemia. It’s a type of cancer that starts in cells that become certain white blood cells (called lymphocytes) in the bone marrow. The cancer cells start in the bone marrow but then go into the blood and the leukemia cells often build up slowly. Many people don’t have any symptoms for at least a few years. But over time, the cells grow and spread to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen.