Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, is a military base in Jacksonville that has been home to many Marines and their families over the years. Recently, however, it has come to light that the water at the base may have been contaminated with toxic chemicals for decades.
- What Is Multiple Myeloma?
- The Long History of Lejeune Water Well Contamination
- The PACT Act and Camp Lejeune Justice Act
- Injuries, Diseases, and Cancers Associated With Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
- Available Camp Lejeune Multiple Myeloma Water Contamination Disability Compensation
- Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Wrongful Death Benefits for Families Who Lost a Loved One Related to Multiple Myeloma
- Hire a Lawyer to Receive Your Multiple Myeloma Camp Lejeune Contaminated Drinking Water Benefits
- Camp Lejeune Multiple Myeloma Resources:
This contamination has led to many illnesses, including multiple myeloma. If you or someone you know was stationed at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, you might be at an increased risk of developing multiple myeloma or diseases caused by the contaminated water.
Do you suspect that the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune led to your multiple myeloma, damaging the white blood cells in your bone marrow?
The personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC are legal advocates for injured victims harmed through the negligence of others.
Are you seeking compensation for a multiple myeloma Camp Lejuene claim?
Contact our product liability attorneys at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
What Is Multiple Myeloma?
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that affects the plasma cells in the bone marrow. These cells become abnormal and begin to crowd out healthy blood cells. As the number of abnormal plasma cells grows, it can hinder the body’s ability to fight infection and other diseases.
Symptoms may include bone pain, fatigue, anemia, and kidney problems. If you or someone you know is affected by multiple myeloma, it is crucial to understand the disease and how best to manage it.
In the United States, approximately 30,000 people are diagnosed with multiple myeloma each year. This cancer of the plasma cells affects males and females equally and is most often found in people over 65.
While there is no known cure for multiple myeloma, treatments are available that can prolong a person’s life.
The Long History of Lejeune Water Well Contamination
The United States Marine Corps opened Camp Lejeune in the late 1940s, the largest East Coast military base. By the early 1980s, water testing by Grainger Laboratories in Raleigh, North Carolina, found incredibly high levels of tetrachloroethylene, perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, vinyl chloride, and other harmful contaminants in the drinking water supplied by the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Recent public health studies on mortality rates involving exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune found that service members stationed at the base between 1953 and 1987 had a higher risk of dying from certain cancers, including multiple myeloma.
Trichloroethylene (TCE)
Trichloroethylene is a colorless and volatile organic compound used as an industrial solvent. It can cause serious health conditions, including liver damage and cancer. TCE exposure can lead to serious health issues, including damaged healthy blood cells, plasma cells, bone marrow, and white blood cells. It is vital to seek medical attention immediately.
Symptoms of exposure may include headache, dizziness, nausea, and trouble breathing. You can protect yourself from TCE exposure by wearing appropriate safety gear and following the safety instructions provided by your employer.
Perchloroethylene (PCE) Dry Cleaning Solvent
PCE solvent is a colorless liquid that has a sharp, sweet odor. It is used in many industries, including dry cleaning, printing, and metal degreasing. Though it is widely used, PCE can be dangerous if not appropriately handled.
Victims of PCE water contamination at Camp Lejeune may experience various health problems, from headaches and nausea to liver damage and cancer. If you have been exposed to contaminated water with PCE solvent, it is crucial to seek medical help immediately.
Benzene
Benzene is a toxin that can cause serious health problems. The chemical is found in gasoline, plastics, and other materials. It is a cancer-causing agent that can cause various deadly health effects.
Vinyl chloride
Vinyl chloride is a colorless, flammable gas with a slightly sweet odor. It is used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a plastic found in many products, including water pipes, food packaging, and flooring. Vinyl chloride exposure can cause serious health problems.
The PACT Act and Camp Lejeune Justice Act
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act is now a part of the PACT Act, passed into law in 2022. The PACT Act will allow veterans to receive high-quality health care screenings and services related to potential toxic exposures, including Camp Lejeune Marine Base water contamination.
It also ensures that those exposed to water contamination at Camp Lejeune can access financial benefit opportunities through government compensation programs like VA loans or disability ratings. The bill is important in ensuring our military men and women receive all they deserve after proudly serving their country!
The Act is landmark legislation that codifies a more scientific process for evaluating and determining the presumption of exposure and service connection for various chronic conditions when the evidence is strong but hard to prove.
The new framework requires the VA to seek independent evaluation and get external input about how it will review these types of cases using this method which has been shown effective in sciences like medicine or engineering; they must be transparent too!
Injuries, Diseases, and Cancers Associated With Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
Over thirty years, the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was identified as a source of toxic water contamination. Yet, many victims are still fighting for the compensation they deserve.
Public health studies show that exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune is linked to many serious health issues, including cancer, birth defects, and other chronic health issues.
The following conditions, injuries, and cancers from contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune include:
- Adult leukemia
- Adverse birth outcomes, including birth defects
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bile duct (gall bladder) cancer
- Bone Cancer
- Breast cancer
- Brain cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Cardiac defect
- Central nervous system cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Endocrine cancer
- End-stage renal disease
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Heart defect
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Kidney disease
- Liver cancers
- Liver disease
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
- Nephrotoxicity(a rare form of kidney damage)
- Neurobehavioral disorders
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL)
- Ovarian cancer
- Parkinson’s
- Plasma cell myeloma
- Prostate cancer
- Rectal, colorectal/colon cancers
- Renal cancer
- Renal toxicity
- Scleroderma
- Other cancers
Veterans, active military service men and women, families, civilian employees, and others with a current diagnosis of multiple myeloma or any of the above conditions caused by contamination at Camp Lejeune might be entitled to receive disability benefits through the VA.
Available Camp Lejeune Multiple Myeloma Water Contamination Disability Compensation
Military personnel stationed at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 and subsequently diagnosed with kidney cancer may be eligible for disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The VA offers presumptive benefits to veterans who served at the base during this time and subsequently developed one of eight health conditions, including kidney cancer.
Veterans diagnosed with kidney cancer who can establish a service connection may be eligible for a 100% disability rating. The total rating entitles them to receive up to $3,000 monthly in tax-free compensation.
Ensure you get the highest VA rating for your disability water claim, as it determines the amount of disability compensation you will receive. Military personnel diagnosed with multiple myeloma or bone cancer may be eligible for $3,000 a month in disability compensation.
In addition, veterans may also be eligible for Special Monthly Compensation and Individual Unemployability, which could potentially increase their monthly compensation. Military personnel and civilian workers stationed at the military base for less than 30 days are not eligible for disability benefits, even if exposed to contaminated water.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Wrongful Death Benefits for Families Who Lost a Loved One Related to Multiple Myeloma
For over two decades, military personnel and their families stationed at Camp Lejeune were exposed to contaminated water containing various chemicals, including benzene and trichloroethylene. The health problems were tragic, and many military personnel diagnosed with cancer died when exposed to contaminated water.
For years, the surviving family members of these victims have fought for the right to sue the federal government for wrongful death. However, courts have repeatedly denied them because the time limit for such suits had passed.
A new law called the Camp Lejeune Justice Act is now about to give these families the justice they have been fighting to receive for years. The Act will allow surviving relatives to bring wrongful death lawsuits against the federal government for contaminated water victims, regardless of how long ago their loved ones died.
This change in the law is a significant victory for the families of those who lost their lives due to the negligence of the military, and it will finally allow them to get the compensation they deserve.
Hire a Lawyer to Receive Your Multiple Myeloma Camp Lejeune Contaminated Drinking Water Benefits
Do you believe your diagnosed multiple myeloma results from exposure to the contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune? Were you or a family member stationed at the Marine Corps base for at least 30 days between 1953 and 1987?
The Camp Lejeune multiple myeloma attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyer, LLC, are experienced in fighting for disability benefits and compensation for individuals diagnosed with this severe form of cancer.
If you believe you may be eligible for benefits from the Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, don’t hesitate to contact our office at (888) 424-5757 for a free, no-obligation consultation. We’ll review your case and help you determine the best course of action to take.
All sensitive or confidential information you share with our legal team concerning your Camp Lejeune multiple myeloma compensation claim remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
