Many members of the United States Marine Corps (“USMC”) who served at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, have suffered from a variety of diseases caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water.  These diseases include leukemia, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  Earlier this year, Congress passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (“Act”) that allows Marines, their family members with injuries, and individuals whose loved ones have died as a result of these diseases, to recover damages caused by exposure to the industrial chemicals that contaminated the base’s drinking water.  Although the exposure to these chemicals and the resulting injuries occurred many years ago, the Act eliminates the statute of limitations (a legal barrier that would normally prevent older claims) and sets a lower hurdle to prove that injuries were related to contamination.

You are eligible to make a claim if you served more than thirty (30) days at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987.  The Act requires you to take certain steps to file and pursue a valid claim.  We can provide advice and assistance throughout the initial stages of this process, which is known as “exhausting your administrative remedies.”  Some cases may be settled during this stage.  If your claim is not settled, the Act authorizes you to file a civil case in federal court.  All lawsuits related to claims under the Act must be brought in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina, which hears cases in Raleigh, New Bern, and Wilmington, North Carolina.

Kilpatrick Townsend is uniquely positioned to assist Marines and their families in analyzing and shepherding their claims through the process. For over a century, our lawyers have been representing clients with claims in the courts of North Carolina, other federal and state courts around the country, and within the federal administrative law system.  We have extensive experience in representing individuals and organizations who are bringing claims against the federal government on a variety of issues, including claims related to environmental contamination.  This experience, combined with the resources of our three North Carolina offices, allows our firm to be a dedicated and forceful advocate for your claim under the Act.

Let us help you make sure that you receive the recovery that you and your family deserve for injuries suffered while you were serving your country.

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