North Carolina Court Are Incapable Of Handling Camp Lejeune Lawsuits Without MDL

The number of cases filed in the North Carolina federal court could grow into the thousands within months

Sunday, May 7, 2023 - It was expected that the vast majority of the tens of thousands of Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claims would have been settled by now through the government's administrative process and avoid going to court. " Mikal Watts of Watts Guerra -- who is representing Camp Lejeune clients ( ) ... said the expectation when the law passed was that the majority of the claims would be settled in the administrative process, not through federal lawsuits," Reuters reported. All lawsuits stemming from those who developed Camp Lejeune water cancer or Parkinson's disease must be filed in North Carolina where the courts are currently deluged with more than 900 lawsuits. Incredibly, no effort has been made to organize Camp Lejeune water lawsuits, which are extremely similar to the cause of many common types of cancer, to be consolidated into one multi-district litigation (MDL) which is usually the case with mass-tort lawsuits of this size and scope. The Navy JAG has 6 months to settle the claims of those who file for lump-sum compensation from the time of the filing but has not paid a penny to anyone as of yet. Reuters reports that more than 45000 Camp Lejeune Justice Act claims have been received by the JAG. The 900 North Carolina lawsuits could grow into the tens of thousands by the August 2024 one-year anniversary of the Act being passed into law if none of the applicant's claims are settled. The government's request for additional time to settle the claims fell on deaf ears from U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle who reiterated that not a single claim has been processed to date, after the Navy JAG having 8 months to do so. " After eight months of nonactivity in each and every one of these claims, it's not readily apparent that the government needs additional time," Boyle said in a court order. "Eight months should be sufficient," Reuters wrote.

Three volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)--trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and benzene were discovered to be present in Camp Lejeune tap water in 1987. These harmful substances are thought to be carcinogenic and contribute to numerous cancers, liver damage, and neurological diseases. The Veterans Administration has produced a list of many types of cancer that are presumed to have been caused by exposure to these deadly chemicals in Camp Lejeune's drinking water. Weapons and military equipment were degreased using TCE and PCE as solvents in a number of industrial and military applications. Inadequately stored and buried gasoline contained the chemical benzene. Over several decades, the contamination developed steadily. Even though the military violated the government's obligation to protect public health by delaying informing residents and employees of the issue until much later in the decade, the contamination was initially identified at two major Camp Lejeune water treatment facilities in the early 1980s. Marines, other service members, and civilian employees and their children who served, worked, attended school, or daycare at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 who have been diagnosed with cancer or Parkinson's disease are eligible to make a Camp Lejeune Justice Act claim and request lump-sum financial compensation.

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.