Marines With Cancer Should Update Their Wills To Continue Their Camp Lejeune Lawsuits Should They Pass Away

The Navy and Marine Corp are dragging their feet and no settlements have been offerred

Wednesday, March 29, 2023 - Many people suffering from cancer and other diseases allegedly from drinking contaminated Camp Lejeune water are elderly and may not have very long to live. They are concerned that the Marine Corps and US Navy are intentionally dragging their feet hoping that plaintiffs will die and the lawsuits will go away. Not one of the more than 25,000 Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims that have been filed have been settled so far, to the best of my knowledge, and some have surpassed the waiting period when it is assumed the claim will never be dealt with. Those people can now file a Camp Lejeune water lawsuit and try to hold the federal government accountable for their illness and suffering. People filing Camp Lejeune lawsuits are seeking compensation for lost wages, reimbursement for medical expenses, paying and suffering, and other emotional damage stemming from losing their families and loved ones. It is estimated that the average settlement for a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit could approach $10 million, and cost the federal government in excess of $160 million over time.

A legal phenomenon that is occurring is that many of the Camp Lejeune water lawsuits started out as personal injuries but have morphed into wrongful death lawsuits because the plaintiffs have died without their claims being settled. Individuals that fear they do not have long to live should speak with a Camp Lejeune water attorney to ensure that the paperwork is in order for a seamless transition of their lawsuit to a family member or other loved one of their choosing. According to leading Camp Lejeune water contamination spokesperson, former Marine Jerry Ensminger, people need to be prepared for much longer waits. "Ensminger, who has been seeking a resolution with the Pentagon since 1997 when he connected his daughter's death to the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, estimated that at least 40 percent of the claims are now wrongful death cases like his because so many of the people affected have died. But that doesn't mean the government's liabilities will be reduced, he said. "Most of the people who passed away have surviving family members -- their children, their spouses," Ensminger said. "Everybody I talk to with catastrophic illness, cancer, I tell all of them they need to have their will established so it doesn't go straight into probate. Make sure you establish the person you want to take this forward," he told RollCall.com.

Ensminger's young daughter died from leukemia allegedly caused by her pregnant mother drinking contaminated Camp Lejeune water, an allegation that has been repeatedly denied by the Navy until the CLJA was passed. Ensminger and others suspect that the military has not put in place sufficient administrative personnel to handle all of the claims and that most will just die on the vine untouched. Others suspect the military is waiting one year for all of the claims to come in before offering a settlement. Either way, the clock is ticking and those with terminal illnesses may never see the fruits of their legal efforts. Updating their affairs to have their loved ones take over should they die may offer some comfort.

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.