New Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit Filed by Five Military Family Members with Birth Defects

In a Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit brought against the U.S. government late last month, five plaintiffs allege that they suffered birth defects caused by in-utero exposure to harmful chemicals in the water supply at the Marine Corps base. The claim, like others that have recently been filed, was brought under the Honoring Our PACT Act, a bill that includes the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 and creates a two-year window for Marines, their family members, and others who lived or served at Camp Lejeune to sue the government for injuries, illnesses, and birth defects allegedly caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water. If you or someone you love has suffered from cancer, a birth defect, or other serious side effects allegedly related to toxic chemicals in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune, contact Consumer Safety Watch as soon as possible to determine whether you may be eligible for compensation from the government.

U.S. Government Failed to Warn About Contaminated Water

Over the course of thirty-plus years, before the contaminated wells were shut down, thousands of Marines, their family members, and others were likely exposed to harmful toxins like benzene, vinyl chloride (VC), trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and tetrachloroethylene in the water supply at Camp Lejeune. And in the decades since, the federal government has deliberately denied and delayed claims by affected individuals who developed cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious ailments after drinking, cooking with, and bathing in water government officials and the military knew or should have known was polluted, including military family members who suffered toxic exposure in utero. With the passage of the Honoring Our PACT Act and the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, the government now faces what could amount to hundreds of thousands of lawsuits associated with the contaminated water supply at Camp Lejeune.

Adverse Health Effects Linked to Toxic Exposure at Camp Lejeune

“As a result of their exposure to the contaminated water, thousands of men and women who lived and worked at Camp Lejeune from the 1950s to the 1980s have contracted serious diseases and chronic conditions, including—but by no means limited to—leukemias, cancers of the bladder, kidney, and liver, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and Parkinson’s disease,” this latest Camp Lejeune contamination lawsuit states. “Victims exposed in utero suffered from severe birth defects, and many did not survive. Indeed, so many infants died during the contamination period that one cemetery where hundreds are buried has taken on the grim title of ‘Baby Heaven.’”

Each of the five plaintiffs in this latest lawsuit was born or conceived at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987, when the drinking water was known to have been polluted by chemicals from several different sources, and developed serious birth defects as a result of their toxic exposure in utero. Among the plaintiffs, Cathlene Brewer and Jeffrey Hopkins both suffered from eye defects resulting in blindness, detached retinas, and other debilitating problems; James T. Maxwell was born with major kidney defects that have led to other serious diseases and conditions, including kidney failure; Sherry A. Miller was born with a congenital spine disorder that required her to undergo two spinal surgeries and spend nine months in a body cast; and Gena M. Parkhurst suffered several birth defects, including spina bifida, a malformation in her back hips, maxillofacial skeletal anomalies, and low birth weight.

How Consumer Safety Watch Can Help You

Efforts to hold the U.S. government accountable for its failure to warn military servicemembers and family members about their toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune have largely been unsuccessful, until now. It is estimated that, with the passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, as many as 300,000 water contamination lawsuits may be brought against the government before the two-year window for filing claims closes in August 2024. If you or a loved one lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between 1953 and 1987, it is likely that you were exposed to harmful contaminants in the water supply. And if you have been diagnosed with an illness like Parkinson’s disease, bladder cancer, liver cancer, or leukemia, or if you suffered a birth defect from in-utero exposure, you may have grounds to sue the government for damages. Contact Consumer Safety Watch right away to learn more about the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 and find out whether you fit the criteria for filing a claim.