Camp Lejeune
The Lawsuit
From 1953 to 1987, the drinking water at the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina may have been contaminated.
During that time, nearly a million civilian workers, military service members, and their families were potentially exposed to dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer and other serious health issues.
If you or your loved one suffered health problems or cancer from contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you may be eligible for compensation from a Camp Lejeune lawsuit.
Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune Linked to Cancer
People are filing Philips CPAP lawsuits because the polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam in recalled Philips CPAP, BiPAP and ventilator devices may cause cancer and serious respiratory problems.
Individual injury lawsuits seek compensation for injuries and claim Philips manufactured defective devices but didn’t warn the public of the risk or serious injuries. A handful of class-action lawsuits demand that Philips pay for the cost of replacing CPAP devices.
“The FDA’s investigation further reveals the company’s own internal testing showed the degradation products of PE-PUR foam are toxic and potentially carcinogenic. The company chose to keep using the PE-PUR foam anyway, and did not alert the public to the risk of harm,” Brendan McDonough, an attorney overseeing Philips CPAP litigation with national law firm Weitz & Luxenberg, told Drugwatch.
Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune Linked to Cancer
In 1982, the U.S. Marine Corps discovered dangerous chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the drinking water at the Camp Lejeune base in North Carolina.
However, the contamination actually began in 1953 and continued to expose base workers, service members, and their families until 1987, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), though the most contaminated wells were removed from service in February 1985.
The toxic VOCs found in the drinking water included:
- Benzene: Used to make other chemicals that compose plastics, resins, and nylon and synthetic fibers
- Tetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene or PCE): For dry cleaning and metal degreasing
- Trichloroethylene (TCE): A solvent used to clean metal parts
- Vinyl chloride (VC): Over time, TCE and PCE in groundwater degrade to become VC
Benzene, TCE, and VC are all classified as cancer-causing chemicals, while PCE is classified as probably carcinogenic. Exposure to these chemicals can also increase the risk of birth defects and other health problems.
You may be eligible to file a Camp Lejeune lawsuit if you or your loved one:
- posed to contaminated drinking water for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987
- Suffered cancer or other health issues related to water contamination at Camp Lejeune