For decades, two of the wells supplying Camp Lejeune in North Carolina were contaminated with industrial solvents and other chemicals at levels far above safe limits. The contamination ran from approximately 1953 to 1987. Roughly one million Marines, sailors, civilian workers, and family members were exposed.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 created a federal cause of action for people who were stationed at or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days during that period and later developed certain illnesses linked to the contamination. The Act was a response to decades of denied VA claims and a 60-year cancer cluster.
Valley Accident Law represents Arizona veterans and family members under the Act. Founder Charles Paglialunga has 29 years of personal injury experience.
You may have a claim if all of the following are true:
Family members of service members qualify under the Act if they were present on base during the qualifying window.
The Act and the underlying scientific reviews recognize a list of conditions associated with the contaminants (mostly trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and benzene). Diagnoses include:
If your diagnosis is not on this list but you served at Camp Lejeune during the period, call us. The list of recognized conditions is not closed.
Camp Lejeune claims are filed in two stages. First, an administrative claim is filed with the Department of the Navy’s Tort Claims Unit. The Navy has six months to respond. If the claim is denied or not resolved, the case can be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the only court with jurisdiction over Camp Lejeune Justice Act cases.
Most cases proceed through the federal litigation track because the administrative process has been slow. The federal cases are organized in mass-tort proceedings designed to handle the volume.
Damages depend on the severity of the diagnosis, the timing, the medical record, and the economic impact (lost wages, treatment costs, ongoing care). Wrongful death claims are available where the affected veteran or family member did not survive.
Settlements are still being established by the courts, and we will not quote a number for a case we have not reviewed. We will give you a realistic range during the free case review based on the diagnosis and supporting documentation.
The Act set a two-year window from the date of enactment for filing claims. That window has already begun running. Conditions diagnosed later may have additional rules. Call us so we can review your specific situation against the current deadlines.
Charles reviews every Camp Lejeune case personally. The case review is free. We work on contingency, which means no fee unless we recover for you. We coordinate with VA benefits and other federal programs you may also be eligible for, but you do not have to choose between them.
Call 1-602-584-8054 for a free consultation.
Have questions or need a free consultation? Contact Chuck@valleyaccidentlaw.com or give us a call right now at 1-602-584-8054. In order to pursue justice and compensation for Camp Lejeune pollution cases, get a free case review from Valley Accident Law.
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Legal situations are quite fact-specific and unique to each individual. Cases involving comparable injuries and facts about responsibility may yield varying judgments or settlements. Confidential settlements have been reached in a number of cases, including ones involving medication and product defects.