According to allegations raised in a recent Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit, a former U.S. Marine stationed at the base in the 1960’s developed stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and severe chronic interstitial nephritis after routine exposure to the contaminated water there. In the lawsuit, filed earlier this month in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, plaintiff Victor Malafronte seeks compensation from the U.S. government for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages he alleges resulted from his exposure to toxic chemicals in the Camp Lejeune water supply. If you or someone you love served, lived, or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, and has been diagnosed with cancer, kidney disease, or another serious health condition, contact Consumer Safety Watch today to find out how we can help.
Victor Malafronte’s case joins several thousand other Camp Lejeune claims brought by former Marines and family members who blame the federal government for failing to ensure that they had access to safe, clean water at the Marine Corps base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. In addition to complaints involving kidney disease, there have been lawsuits filed by veterans and family members who were diagnosed with cancer, birth defects, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious and potentially life-threatening illnesses allegedly caused by exposure to harmful chemicals like benzene, vinyl chloride (VC), trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene, and perchloroethylene (PCE) in the water supply. For decades, Camp Lejeune water contamination victims have been barred from pursuing compensation for their injuries because of an obscure North Carolina law that put a 10-year time limit on such claims. However, a new law allows those exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune to pursue claims against the federal government for bladder cancer, breast cancer, renal cancer, and other adverse health outcomes.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 establishes a new two-year period during which Camp Lejeune water contamination victims can sue and recover damages from the federal government for related injuries. This includes veterans, surviving family members, and other individuals allegedly harmed by exposure to contaminants in the Camp Lejeune water supply between 1953 and 1987. Thousands of lawsuits are expected to be filed under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act and the Honoring Our PACT Act by veterans like Victor Malafronte, many of whom suffered devastating health problems following years of exposure to polluted water at Camp Lejeune. According to Malafronte’s lawsuit, the former Marine was stationed at Camp Lejeune several times between 1963 and 1967, during which time he drank, bathed in, and cooked and cleaned with the contaminated water.
“While on base, Mr. Malafronte began to experience severe, debilitating headaches that continue to afflict him to this day,” the Camp Lejeune lawsuit states. “He has subsequently been diagnosed with stage 4 chronic kidney disease and severe chronic interstitial nephritis. There is overwhelming evidence that the contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune caused, or were at least as likely as not the cause of, his injuries.” Malafronte originally filed an administrative claim for injuries he sustained in connection with his military service in September 2011, but the claim was denied by the U.S. Navy in 2019. Under the new Camp Lejeune Justice Act, Malafronte is finally free to pursue a legal claim against the U.S. government and seek the Camp Lejeune settlement he deserves.
Experts predict that more than one million Marines and their family members were exposed to the water supply at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, when it was known to be contaminated with harmful, cancer-causing chemicals. And some reports estimate that exposure to these chemicals may be responsible for as many as 50,000 cases of breast cancer, 28,000 cases of bladder cancer, and 24,000 cases of renal cancer, in addition to thousands of cases of Parkinson’s disease and other serious health problems. The contamination may have also caused thousands of cases of birth defects and wrongful deaths among children exposed to the water in utero. If you believe you may have been adversely affected by toxins in the water supply at Camp Lejune between 1953 and 1987, do not hesitate to speak to a Camp Lejeune water contamination attorney about your legal options. There is a strict deadline for filing a Camp Lejeune claim, so don’t wait to call.
