Military service members who were exposed to exceedingly dangerous chemicals that may have caused serious — even deadly — health problems at a military base many years ago may need to do a bit of legwork to finally get justice.
The PACT Act, which was signed into law on August 10, got a lot of attention for seeking financial benefits for military personnel who suffer from illnesses caused by burn pit smoke in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But it also included the Camp Lejeune Justice Act — legislation specifically created to help Marines use their constitutional right to legal action against the United States government for years of toxic water exposure at the military base in North Carolina.
The key phrase here is “right to legal action.” Because the truth is, veterans and their families seeking justice after they lived or worked at the base and came into contact with hazardous contaminants in the water in base wells are not going to see automatic payouts following the passage of the historic Honoring our PACT Act.
Between 1953 and 1987, as many as 1 million military service members and their families may have been exposed to dangerous contaminants in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. That harm includes a number of debilitating or deadly health conditions veterans or their loved ones could still be seeing the ripple effects from today.
But in order to get financial help after suffering this injustice, those affected will need to get involved in lawsuits for damages. Claims won’t be made automatically, and veterans who deserve to be taken care of after being exposed to such dangerous chemicals don’t get automatic payouts. To get water contamination compensation, victims need to act soon.
At Phillips Law Group, we are completely horrified that Marine veterans and their families stationed at the military base during that time period, as well as civilian workers, were exposed to highly toxic chemicals for so long. And we want to help.
If you or a loved one were stationed at Camp Lejeune before 1988 for 30 days or more, you might be entitled to file a claim. Please, don’t hesitate to contact Phillips Law Group to learn about all of the legal options available to you.
For the first time, Marine veterans and their families can take legal action to get monetary compensation for this grave injustice. And the team at Phillips is here to help make that happen.
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