The Camp Lejeune Lawsuit: Helping America’s Veterans

What Happened at Camp Lejeune? 

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is an American military base camp in Jacksonville, North Carolina. According to recent estimates, the property is currently used by more than 170,000 people, including more than 63,000 active duty military and 11,000 civilians.

Camp Lejeune is now infamous for an environmental and public health disaster. For over thirty years, beginning in the 1950s, chemicals from leaking underground storage tanks, industrial area spills, improper waste disposal, and a nearby dry cleaner contaminated the drinking water at Camp Lejeune. Anyone who served, lived, or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 may have been exposed to dangerous chemicals linked to serious illnesses.

3 Reasons to Choose Poole Law Group

1. Low fee. Our fee for all legal services related to your Camp Lejeune claim is just 25%. This means more money in your pocket at the end of your case. Many Camp Lejeune attorneys charge up to 40% of your damage recovery. If your attorney’s fee is too high, you may not recover much, especially when expenses and offsets for prior VA medical expenses are applied. 
2. Accessibility. We believe that everyone should be able to reach their lawyer throughout the legal claims process. We put a premium on ensuring our clients can reach us easily and speak to their attorneys at any time. While we are experienced at Camp Lejeune cases, we never sacrifice quality for quantity.
3. VFW-approved. Our affiliate team at Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico is one of only two legal groups entrusted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars to handle Camp Lejeune cases. The VFW wants veterans to have the best lawyers for their Camp Lejeune lawsuits. When you choose the Poole Law Group, you stand with the VFW. 

Contaminated Drinking Water 

In the early 1980s, multiple sources of drinking water at Camp Lejeune were found to contain cancer-causing chemicals. However, according to organizations like the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the contamination started decades earlier, in the early 1950s. There have been allegations that the government knew about the contamination for decades but failed to take action to protect the community.

Three water treatment plants that supplied family homes, schools, and buildings on the base with water – Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant, Holcomb Boulevard, and Hadnot Point Treatment Plant – were contaminated with chemicals such as benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and vinyl chloride (VC). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, were found in the water far exceeding the maximum “safe” level.

These water systems served enlisted-family housing, barracks for unmarried service personnel, base administrative offices, the base hospital, schools, and recreational areas.

The Long-Term Health Effects of Camp Lejeune’s Toxic Water

It is well established that frequent or large exposures to pollutant VOCs in drinking water are linked to several serious health conditions, including cancer, neurological damage, and other illnesses. Tragically, pregnant women who are exposed to these toxic chemicals are more likely to suffer miscarriages, and the babies born are more likely to have birth defects.

People who were exposed to contaminated water during their time serving or living at Camp Lejeune may have developed:

NOTE: The science continues to emerge with regard to specific conditions linked to exposure at Camp Lejeune. Therefore, if you suffer from a condition that is not listed above, please revisit this site from time to time, as we will update it as new information becomes available.

Exposed to Contaminated Drinking Water? 

File Your Claim Now

In the past, the Veterans Administration denied many claims from those who may have been harmed by exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. When reviewing claims, the VA may have used physicians who were not specialists and had minimal background on issues stemming from Camp Lejeune to evaluate these claims. 

After years of suffering because of this stunning environmental contamination, there is now hope in sight for Camp Lejeune victims. In 2021, a group of dedicated citizens helped to introduce the Camp Lejeune Justice Act to Congress. The legislation proposed eliminating the legal barriers that veterans and their families faced from the uniquely unfair application of the North Carolina statute in federal courts.

The bipartisan Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was rolled into the PACT Act, which was passed by Congress on August 2, 2022 and signed into law on August 10, 2022. This bill allows all individuals harmed by exposure to toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune, including service members and their families, to file claims for damages. 

You protected us.

Now we’ll protect you.

How To File A Camp Lejeune Lawsuit

On August 2, 2022, the PACT Act passed Congress, granting individuals, including veterans and their families, the right to seek justice for health conditions caused by Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water. You may join the Camp Lejeune water contamination lawsuit if:

1. You resided or worked at Camp Lejeune from August 1, 1953 through December 1, 1987 for at least 30 days, and
2. You have an illness caused by the toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune. 

If this describes your situation, call (301) 790-3600 immediately for a free, confidential consultation.

Our attorneys will ask you to provide:

• Medical records 
• Military records
• Housing records

If you don’t have these records on file, we may be able to track them down for you.

Once we confirm the validity of your case, we will file a claim with the NAVY JAG Corp. The government then has 60 days to respond. 

If they don’t respond, or provide a settlement offer we do not consider fair, we will then file a lawsuit on your behalf in the eastern district of North Carolina.

CAMP LEJEUNE LAWSUIT UPDATE:

Individuals have until August 9, 2024, to file their claim with the Department of the Navy JAG.

An Experienced Legal Team for Military Families

The Poole Law Group is working on Camp Lejeune claims with Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea, LLC, an experienced environmental litigation firm with a proven track record of achieving justice for families and communities ravaged by the health impacts of toxic contamination. Together, our Camp Lejeune lawyers are here to listen, guide, and lead clients through these cases, never losing sight of the benefit we are hired to achieve.

The Poole Law Group is part of a consortium of vetted law firms entrusted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars to care for our military clients. We are an established firm with a history of success. We've helped many Marines and their family members over the years, and they will vouch for us. 

Watch attorney Bruce Poole's WBAL 11 interview on the Camp Lejeune litigation

Our Commitment to You

If you’ve never hired a lawyer, it’s easy to assume they are all the same. 

Nothing could be further from the truth. 

Not all lawyers are as qualified, experienced, or devoted to their clients. Many high-volume firms made the switch to Camp Lejeune cases once it was clear how common, and how lucrative, they could be. It's easy to respond to a TV advertisement and get handed off to a call center. Many do—and settle for far less than their Camp Lejeune case is worth.

By contrast, the Poole Law Group has been representing mass tort clients for many years, and has been chosen by numerous counties, cities and towns as counsel in various mass tort actions. Having a firm with experience in water contamination mass torts can make a dramatic difference in how much you get paid. We are not TV advertisers who are simply gathering cases to pass off to junior attorneys. We are VFW-vetted legal professionals with a proven track record of serving military members and their families.

Our Commitment to You: 

Truth, Transparency, and Accountability.

Chemical Contamination of Drinking Water

In the early 1980s, multiple sources of drinking water at Camp Lejeune were found to contain cancer-causing chemicals. However, according to organizations like the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the contamination started decades earlier, in the early 1950s. There have been allegations that the government knew about the contamination for decades but failed to take action to protect the community.

Three water treatment plants that supplied family homes, schools, and buildings on the base with water – Tarawa Terrace Treatment Plant, Holcomb Boulevard, and Hadnot Point Treatment Plant – were contaminated with chemicals such as benzene, trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and vinyl chloride (VC). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, were found in the water far exceeding the maximum “safe” level.

These water systems served enlisted-family housing, barracks for unmarried service personnel, base administrative offices, the base hospital, schools, and recreational areas.

Why Now?

In the past, the Veterans Administration denied many claims from those who may have been harmed by exposure to the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. When reviewing claims, the VA may have used physicians who were not specialists and had minimal background on issues stemming from Camp Lejeune to evaluate these claims. 

Victims have also been denied justice because of a North Carolina law that prevented toxic contamination victims from bringing a lawsuit more than 10 years after pollution takes place.

After years of suffering because of this stunning environmental contamination, there is now hope in sight for Camp Lejeune victims. In 2021, a group of dedicated citizens helped to introduce the Camp Lejeune Justice Act to Congress. The legislation proposed eliminating the legal barriers that veterans and their families faced from the uniquely unfair application of the North Carolina statute in federal courts.

The bipartisan Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was rolled into the PACT Act, which was passed by Congress on August 2, 2022 and signed into law on August 10, 2022. The passage of this bill allows all individuals, including service members and their families, who were harmed by exposure to toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune to seek justice by filing claims for damages. 

What We Do for You

At the Poole Law Group, we are focused on achieving justice on behalf of veterans and their families who were harmed while serving our country, and we are proud to offer the direct personal attention of our attorneys with a highly individualized focus on your matters.  

What sets us apart is a team of lawyers with significant experience fighting for communities that have been ravaged by water contamination. Our team – comprised of experts in the environment, water, engineering, and health fields – has gotten justice for families and communities who live every day with the health impacts of toxic contamination. Attorney Bruce Poole and the Poole Law Group have partnered with Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea and other firms around the country including those led by former JAG attorneys, too.

Our focus on a core group of practice areas has allowed us to develop considerable expertise in our fields and the ability to offer our clients an intense and highly individualized focus on their matters. Our clients receive the direct personal attention of the attorneys, and we pride ourselves on our responsiveness and accessibility.

We are a legal team that cares about taking care of our clients. As such, we are charging a total legal fee of 25% to pursue a settlement award from the compensation fund, including if a specific case goes to trial.

We have formed and are working alongside a Military Advisory Board made up of veterans with direct expertise in the issues at play in this case. We have also created a Medical Advisory Board of highly experienced oncologists and other specialists to ensure we provide the best outcomes for our clients. We are focused on achieving justice on behalf of veterans and their families who were harmed while serving our country. Our commitment to you is Truth, Transparency, and Accountability, and we will communicate with you every step of the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit? 

The Camp Lejeune lawsuit is a mass tort action that seeks to recover damages for anyone affected by Camp Lejeune’s toxic water, which was present from the early 1950s to the mid-1980s. On August 10, 2022, the PACT Act was signed into law, granting veterans and their families the ability to file lawsuits against the federal government for illnesses and other health impacts caused by this decade-long water contamination.

Claimants have until August 9, 2024 to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit. 

FILE YOUR CLAIM TODAY WITH US

What is the Average Payout for the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?

So far, no jury verdicts have been rendered in Camp Lejeune cases. As of December 1, 2023, the Government has settled four cases for a total of $1 million, for an average value of $250,000 per case. While some claimants clearly should consider settlement, we believe many of the claims if properly presented have significantly greater value.

When Are Camp Lejeune Payouts Scheduled to Take Place? 

Trials for Camp Lejeune water contamination will begin in March 2024. The judges presiding over these cases wish to have an aggressive schedule of trials; it is likely that numerous trials will occur by the time the filing deadline of August 9, 2024.

NOTE: All Camp Lejeune claims must be filed by August 9, 2024.

Call today to begin the process of filing your claim: (301) 790-3600.

Is Cherry Point Part of the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Cost?

Yes. Potential claimants include: 

• Camp Lejeune Marines, service members and civilians posted at Camp Lejeune;
• Service members stationed at the nearby Marine Corps Air Station New River; and
• Marine Corp Air Station (MCAS) members stationed at Cherry Point, who also trained at Camp Lejeune.

What Does Filing a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Cost?

Filing a Camp Lejeune lawsuit is completely free. Poole Law Group clients never pay any up-front costs or fees. As part of our commitment to doing right by those who have served our country, our contingency fee is just 25%. Some litigation costs will be subject to reimbursement.

Will Filing a Claim Negatively Affect My Current Benefits From Veterans Affairs, Medicare, and Medicaid?

No. Your benefits through the VA, Medicare, and Medicaid will not be negatively affected by your Camp Lejeune lawsuit settlement. This litigation aims to compensate those harmed for the pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages not covered by your current benefits. Any compensation you obtain through a lawsuit will be offset by the cost of benefits you have already received.

NOTE: If you already receive VA benefits or services for conditions related to the water contamination at Camp LeJeune, either in the form of disability pay or healthcare services, your court award will be decreased by the amount of any disability award, payment, or other benefit the VA has already provided to you related to your exposure at Camp LeJeune.

When Will the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Be Settled? 

Camp Lejeune lawsuits are slated to begin settling in late 2023, and to continue through 2033. Most cases are expected to take between one to two (1-2) years to settle. The sooner you file your claim, the sooner you can expect compensation.

Who Qualifies for the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?

If you spent time at Camp Lejeune during the specified time period, you may be eligible for disability compensation payments. You may qualify if:

• You served at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River, in the eastern district of North Carolina, for at least 30 days total between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987;
• You didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge when you separated from the military; and
• You have a diagnosis of one (1) or more of these conditions:
  • Adult leukemia
  • Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Bladder cancer
  • Kidney cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Parkinson’s disease

Evidence shows a link between these conditions and exposure to chemicals found in the toxic water at Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River during this time. These requirements apply to Veterans, Reservists, National Guard members, and civilians

Our Mission: Justice for Veterans and Military Families

About The Poole Law Group

The Poole Law Group is dedicated to seeking justice for veterans and their families. We are proud to offer lower fees and more direct personal attention than you will find at other firms. We work with and through the VFW to ensure that you and your family receive the protection you deserve.

Our Mission

The Poole Law Group is a team of lawyers with significant experience fighting for communities that have been ravaged by water contamination. Our team includes experts in the environment, water, engineering, and health fields.

Our mission: to seek justice for military families and communities who live with the health effects of toxic water contamination. 

Our Focus

We are focused on achieving justice on behalf of veterans and their families who were harmed while serving our country. Our focus on a core group of practice areas has allowed us to develop considerable expertise in our fields and the ability to offer our clients an intense and highly individualized focus on their matters. Our clients receive the direct personal attention of the attorneys, and we pride ourselves on our responsiveness and accessibility.

Our Expertise

The Poole Law Group works alongside a Military Advisory Board made up of veterans with direct expertise in the issues at play in this case. We have also created a Medical Advisory Board of highly experienced oncologists and other specialists to ensure we provide the best outcomes for our clients. Attorney Bruce Poole and the Poole Law Group have partnered with Baird Mandalas Brockstedt Federico & Cardea and other firms around the country, including those led by former JAG attorneys.

We will provide our clients with frequent and regular updates on the status of the litigation, and our team is always available for any questions. We establish a first-name basis relationship with all our clients. This is similar to the relationship between a VA-accredited attorney and their veteran client when working on disability and compensation benefits appeals.

It Is Our Honor To Serve You

Call us today to discuss your case: (301) 790-3600

Information submitted will be transmitted to The Poole Law Group. This communication is intended to be an attorney-client communication for purposes of evaluating your claim and will be kept confidential by the law firm. The communication does not create an attorney-client relationship and no relationship is formed until a fee agreement is signed by you and the law firm.