Many Camp Lejeune Water Victims Could Die Waiting for A Settlement Offer

Understaffed administrative offices and new anti-fraud protocols slow the processing of cancer claims to a crawl

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 - Lawyers representing blocks of Camp Lejeune water contamination victims fear that their clients with cancer may not live long enough to benefit from financial compensation. The federal government acknowledges that it cannot process all of the 166,000 Camp Lejeune water contamination claims efficiently enough to provide rapid payouts even with the new elective option. Under the elective option marines and civilian employees diagnosed with specific types of cancer and proven to have spent a requisite amount of time on the base would automatically qualify for a payment of between 150 and $550,000. The latter figure includes $100,000 as a death benefit for those who have died. Cancer is a serious and deadly disease and many plaintiffs will not live long enough to benefit from a payout. Delays in payouts are not only due to the Navy being understaffed but also due to new, time-consuming protocols that have been put into place to detect fraud. To illustrate the point, so far, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Justice have made settlement offers to only 96 of the 166,000 claims, and 17 of them have been accepted, according to court filings and Navy data. The majority of the offers, which are good for 60 days, are pending. It is not clear how many will qualify. Plaintiff attorneys vow to continue the process and pursue jury trials which have been terminated as a result of a recent ruling. Attorneys think the elective option settlement offers are fair and are the best option for many elderly plaintiffs, who are suffering from cancer. Many think the elective option is the only hope to get a fair Camp Lejeune Justice Act settlement while the victims are still alive.

For those who are new to the benefits that may be available to Marines and civilians who served or worked at Camp Lejeune, " The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) is a law passed by Congress and signed by the President which took effect in August 2022 to provide relief to those who suffered injuries as a result of exposure to drinking water at Camp Lejeune. The CLJA is a part of the Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, which was signed into law on August 10, 2022. The CLJA allows Veterans and civilians to file claims and lawsuits against the U.S. Government to potentially recover for injuries caused by exposure to contaminated water at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from August 1, 1953, through December 31, 1987, according to Navy.mil. The Act promises that if your Camp Lejeune claim is denied the victims may file a personal injury lawsuit. If the victim has died the surviving spouse or children may file a wrongful death suit on behalf of their family member. All lawsuits must be filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina where more than 1500 cases are pending.

Information provided by CampLejeuneJusticeActClaim.com, a website devoted to providing news about Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claim, including a free no-cost, no-obligation Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claim.