For decades, unsuspecting servicemembers and their families were exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina. Under a new law, the PACT Act, victims of toxic exposure who developed various cancers and other illnesses can seek compensation for their injuries through a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit. That’s where the Law Office of Mo Abusaft comes in.
Our firm is representing affected servicemembers, their families, and other victims of toxic exposure at the base in water contamination injury claims. Once you become our client, our dedicated toxic substance mass tort attorney will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, we serve Camp Lejeune injury victims nationwide. Contact our office today to learn how we can help.
What Caused The Water Contamination At Camp Lejeune?
A water treatment facility and a well at the base were contaminated with toxic chemicals. Studies revealed the water treatment facility, which began operating in 1952, was contaminated by perchloroethylene (PCE), an industrial solvent identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a volatile organic compound and a known carcinogen. The source of the PCE was a dry cleaning business near the base that used PCE to clean fabrics, which leached into the groundwater and the water treatment facility.
The water well was found to be contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), a toxic substance that entered the water supply from multiple sources, including waste disposal sites and damaged underground storage containers. Also, an oil spill at a nearby fuel depot in 1979 dumped thousands of gallons of oil into the groundwater, contaminating the well and the drinking water at Camp Lejeune with benzene and vinyl chloride.
An investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified PCE, TCE, and other harmful chemicals as the primary source of contamination in water used for drinking, bathing, and cooking with toxic exposure beginning as early as 1953 and continuing until 1987. The U.S Navy was aware of the water contamination but kept this information from service members and other residents.
What Is the PACT Act?
The “Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act” (PACT Act), provides military veterans, civil servants, contractors, and their families with healthcare benefits for exposure to toxins such as burn bits and contaminated water.
In particular, the new law
- Expands screenings and medical treatment for veterans exposed to toxic substances at Camp Lejeune, and
- Codifies specific cancers and illnesses, removing barriers to receiving VA disability benefits.
Most importantly, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act is incorporated into PACT Act, giving victims of toxic exposure the right to file a civil lawsuit to recover damages for injuries and losses. To be eligible, you must have lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and have a related illness or cancer.
Our mass tort attorneys will work tirelessly to protect your rights and hold the U.S. Navy and the federal government accountable for failing to warn you about the potential danger of toxic exposure at the base.
Camp Lejeune Common Illnesses
Studies and medical evidence show that PCE, TCE, and other toxins were absorbed through the skin, ingestion, and inhalation, resulting in exposure to those living or working on the base. A wide range of cancers and other health conditions have been linked to contaminated water, including:
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer (in women and men)
- Esophageal cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Adult leukemia
- Multiple myeloma
- non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Ovarian cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Neurological diseases – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease
- Aplastic anemia
- Renal toxicity
- Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver disease)
- Scleroderma
- Infertility in women
Toxic exposure at the base has also proven to be harmful to unborn babies, causing deformities and life-threatening medical conditions, including
- Eye defects
- Low birth weight
- Neural tube defect
- Oral cleft defect
- Neurobehavioral performance deficit
- Miscarriage
- Fetal death
The mass tort attorneys at the Law Office of Mo Abusaft are committed to fighting for Camp Lejeune injury victims and helping them obtain the compensation they deserve.
We have extensive experience litigating toxic substance mass torts and regularly collaborate with medical and scientific experts who can help to prove that your illness, or the death of a loved one, was caused by toxic exposure at the base. While mass torts often settle out of court, we will take your case to trial if necessary. In any event, we will fight to help you recover damages, such as:
- Medical expenses – past and future
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability/disfigurement
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
If you lost a family member due to toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune, we can help to file a wrongful death claim to obtain compensation for final medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses, and the loss of guidance and support they would have provided.
Contact Our Dedicated Camp Lejeune
Water Contamination Lawyer
At the Law Office of Mo Abusaft, our mass tort lawyers are here to put the Camp Lejeune Justice Act to work for you. No amount of money can undo your suffering, but you deserve justice and compensation for all your medical and financial needs. Contact our office today to learn how we can help.
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