The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 allows veterans, family members, and civilian workers who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 to sue the U.S. government for water contamination injuries. This screener checks your eligibility in 2 minutes.
A Camp Lejeune attorney will confirm your eligibility and file your claim against the government at no cost. No fee unless you win.
From the early 1950s through 1987, the drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was contaminated with toxic chemicals including trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride. These are known carcinogens and neurotoxins. Approximately one million military personnel, family members, and civilian workers were exposed.
The contamination came from an on-base dry cleaning facility, leaking underground fuel storage tanks, and waste disposal practices. The Marine Corps knew about the contamination by the early 1980s but was slow to act. Contaminated wells weren't closed until 1985.
For decades, veterans and families couldn't sue the government for Camp Lejeune injuries due to sovereign immunity and North Carolina's statute of repose. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, signed into law in August 2022 as part of the PACT Act, changed that. It allows anyone who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 to file a lawsuit in the Eastern District of North Carolina if they suffered a qualifying illness.
The statute covers any illness causally connected to the contaminated water. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has identified strong associations between Camp Lejeune water exposure and several cancers and conditions including bladder cancer, kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, Parkinson's disease, neurobehavioral effects, and others. A full list of presumptive conditions continues to evolve as scientific evidence develops.