The water contamination at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune has been linked with a number of dangerous health conditions, affecting millions of people. It has mainly affected the service members and their families who lived there between 1953 to 1987. This has caused people to wonder whether the conditions can permanently harm them.
Some of the health hazards like cancer can significantly affect a person’s life and even cause death. If you or your loved one is facing a hard time due to coming in contact with Camp Lejeune water, you can file a Camp Lejeune Disability to recover compensation.
What are the health contaminants found in Camp Lejeune water sources?
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a group of chemicals that are used to create various products you can find in your home. However, these are extremely harmful to human health. Apart from VOCs, there are additional groups of chemicals found in the water, including:
- Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene (PCE)
- Benzene
- Trichloroethylene (TCE)
- Trans-1,2-dichloroethylene (DCE)
- Vinyl chloride
These are extremely hazardous chemicals that have been linked with harmful diseases, including various types of cancers.
List of health conditions linked with these chemicals
- Esophageal cancer
- Female infertility
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Renal toxicity
- Bladder cancer
- Breast cancer
- Leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Hepatic steatosis
- Kidney cancer
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Miscarriage
- Multiple myeloma
- Scleroderma
- Neurobehavioral effects
You must thoroughly review this list to check whether your condition is eligible to file a claim. Even if you do not see your illness on the list, do not lose hope. You may still be able to file a claim. Hire an attorney to determine whether you have a case.
Can these conditions permanently disable you?
For now, there have been no claims of permanent disability because of Camp Lejeune. However, the conditions in the list can significantly affect the human body. Some of them, if progressed to a certain extent, cannot be cured, and the victim will gradually succumb to their injuries. Therefore, yes, the toxins found in Camp Lejeune have the potential to disable a victim permanently.
Tips for a successful claim
If you are undertaking the journey of filing a legal claim to recover compensation, you may be nervous about not succeeding or getting less than you deserve. Here are a few tips to help you throughout the journey.
- Get a medical diagnosis and gather documented evidence of your illness.
- Establish that you served at the facility during the specific time frame using service records.
- Make sure you have both VA and private medical records.
- Compensation and pension exam results.