Individuals who suffer from myelodysplastic syndromes after more than 30 days of exposure to toxic water contamination at North Carolina's Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 are eligible to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit under the newly enacted Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. Contact the Camp Lejeune myelodysplastic syndromes lawyers at Marin and Barrett, Inc. at (888) 348-2735 today for a free, no obligation initial consultation.
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Individuals who suffer from myelodysplastic syndromes after more than 30 days of exposure to toxic water contamination at North Carolina’s Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 are eligible to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit under the newly enacted Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. Contact the Camp Lejeune myelodysplastic syndromes lawyers at Marin and Barrett, Inc. at (888) 348-2735 today for a free, no obligation initial consultation.
Has Exposure to Water Contamination At Camp Lejeune Been Linked to Myelodysplastic Syndromes?
The effects of exposure to any chemical 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 trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), benzene, or vinyl chloride exposure will develop 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 drank water contaminated with these chemicals.
With respect to myelodysplastic syndromes specifically, in 2014 the ASTDR noted that they have identified a positive association between exposure to the harmful chemical Benzene and myelodysplastic syndromes. The study that the ATSDR relied upon, IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, Vol 97: 1,3-Butadiene, Ethylene Oxide and Vinyl Halides (Vinyl Fluoride, Vinyl Chloride and Vinyl Bromide), was published in the Lancet Oncology in 2008.
As far back as 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that there is evidence supporting a causal relationship between myelodysplastic syndromes and exposure to the toxic chemical Benzene. In 2017 the United States V.A., based upon the results of the the Camp Lejeune Technical Workgroup (TWG) analysis, acknowledged the relationship between exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune and the subsequent development of myelodysplastic syndromes. At that time, the V.A. finally added myelodysplastic syndromes to the list of presumptive service connection conditions related to exposure to the contaminants in the Camp Lejeune water supply.
In addition to the connection between myelodysplastic syndromes and Camp Lejeune, 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. They are:
The scientific studies, in addition to showing a high incidence of leukemia, also provide strong evidence tying the water contamination to other illnesses including liver cancer, birth defects, and prostate cancer.
Camp Lejeune Myelodysplastic Syndromes Lawsuit
For decades, the victims of Camp Lejeune water contamination have suffered without recourse. They have been prevented from bringing civil lawsuits for financial compensation for the myelodysplastic syndromes injuries and deaths caused by the tainted water. Previously, a North Carolina law known as the statute of repose block the victims from filing lawsuits. However, on August 10th, 2022 a new law was passed giving victims the right to file a Camp Lejeune myelodysplastic syndromes lawsuit and seek a settlement including financial compensation or a jury payout. Now Camp Lejeune victims can file civil tort claims for injuries related to water contamination.
What are Myelodysplastic Syndromes?
Myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS, are a group of disorders caused by blood cells that are poorly formed or don’t work properly. Myelodysplastic syndromes result from something amiss in the spongy material inside your bones where blood cells are made (bone marrow). People with myelodysplastic syndromes might not experience signs and symptoms at first.
In time, myelodysplastic syndromes might cause symptoms such as:
Fatigue
Shortness of breath
Unusual paleness (pallor), which occurs due to a low red blood cell count (anemia)
Easy or unusual bruising or bleeding, which occurs due to a low blood platelet count (thrombocytopenia)
Pinpoint-sized red spots just beneath the skin that are caused by bleeding (petechiae)
Frequent infections, which occur due to a low white blood cell count (leukopenia)
History of Water Contamination at Camp Lejeune
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s has indicated that past exposures from 1953 through 1987 to trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, and other contaminants in the drinking water at the Camp Lejeune. The water supply from Hadnot Point, which served the main side barracks, Hospital Point family housing, and family housing at Midway Park, Paradise Point, and Berkeley Manor until 1972, was contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) with maximum levels of 1,400 parts per billion (pub) detected in the drinking water. The Tarawa Terrace water supply, which served Tarawa Terrace family base housing and the Knox trailer park, was contaminated with PCE with maximum levels of 215 ppb detected in February 1985.
Camp Lejeune Myelodysplastic Syndromes Lawsuits under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act
Prior to the passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, victims of toxic water contamination have been unable to file claims for financial compensation for injuries caused by the contaminated water. Previously, Veterans suffering with myelodysplastic syndromes due to their exposure to toxic water contamination at Camp Lejeune were limited to filing for V.A. disability benefits. Now, the new law called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows all individuals, including veterans, families, and civilian employees, who were exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune and now suffering from serious health problems, including myelodysplastic syndromes, to file a Federal lawsuit for financial compensation. The experienced personal injury lawyers at the Marin and Barrett law firm stand ready to assist you in filing your myelodysplastic syndromes water contamination lawsuit. From our offices in South Carolina, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, we are assisting Clients with Camp Lejeune claims nationwide. Call now to speak with a Camp Lejeune attorney today. There is a limited time period in which you may file a claim, don’t delay.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was passed as part of larger bill called the Honoring Our PACT Act which, among its provisions, the bill will help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits used in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, used to incinerate environmental hazards and other refuse. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Honoring Our PACT Act – the most comprehensive ever passed for military veterans – will cost almost $300 billion over the next decade.
The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the Camp Lejeune claims has projected $6 billion to settle these cases. However, the CBO is ill equipped to accurately measure the potential liability and value of claims in these cases. With over 900,000 individuals exposed to the toxic water contamination, it is difficult to even estimate the total number of claims that will be filed.
Similar Benzene toxic exposure lawsuits have resulted in a wide-range of jury verdicts:
2016: Plaintiff Louis DeSorbo was awarded $824,000 by a jury in the city of Philadelphia. He was exposed to benzene in solvents and developed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) — In RE: DeSorbo v. U.S. Steel Corp. et al. — Case No. 130603450.
2015: A jury awarded $8.2 million to a 60-year-old Texas man battling Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a form of leukemia caused by his exposure to benzene contained in paint and thinners manufactured by E.I. Du Pont De Nemours.
2015: The Nevada Supreme Court upheld a $7.5 million dollar jury verdict. Rick Lewis drove a gasoline tanker for six years. His job exposed him to benzene, and he later died of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). A jury awarded the verdict in 2011.
Camp Lejeune Myeldoysplastic Syndromes Lawyer
If you are a Camp Lejeune water contamination victim and want to pursue compensation for myelodysplastic syndrome or another health condition, please contact the Marin and Barrett Law Firm today at (888) 348-2735. to schedule a free claim evaluation. We don’t get paid unless you do, so if you don’t receive compensation for your myelodysplastic syndromes claim, you won’t pay any attorney fees.
At Marin and Barrett, Inc., our toxic water contamination lawyers are well versed in the dangerous of exposure to Benzene and the scientific linkage between Benzene exposure and myelodysplastic syndromes. We can help those suffering with myeldoysplastic syndromes (MDS) due to their exposure to water at Camp Lejeune that had been contaminated with Benzene recover financial compensation. Additionally, if a loved one passed away due to myeldoysplastic syndromes and spent time at Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible to file a myeldoysplastic syndromes wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf. There is a strict statute of limitation so time is of the essence, don’t delay. Call Attorney Matthew Marin and the Marin and Barrett Legal Team for legal assistance filing a Camp Lejeune lawsuit or wrongful death claim today at (888) 348-2735.
