If you served at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, you, like many others, may have acquired a health condition from the contaminated drinking water. Millions of people who came in contact and drank the water there during their military service have become victims of the toxins. Studies show that the water even contains cancer-causing substances.
There are certain Camp Lejeune Presumptive Conditions for which individuals do not have to prove that they were exposed to the base’s contaminated water. If your condition is one of these, you may only show evidence that you served at the base between August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987.
List of presumptive health conditions associated with Camp Lejeune
As of March 14, 2017, VA announced a list of eight presumptive health conditions associated with Camp Lejeune. If you served at the base between the mentioned timeline for at least 30 days and you have acquired one of the following conditions, you won’t have to prove that your illness resulted from drinking the water there.
- Adult leukemia
- Bladder cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Kidney cancer
If you see your health condition on the list, you are eligible to file a claim and recover VA disability compensation.
Eligibility criteria: Who qualifies?
Here are some eligibility criteria you need to keep in mind to qualify. You qualify for the benefits if you were:
- On active duty.
- In the National Guard or Reserves.
- Served during the specified time frame, that is, August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987.
- Served and lived on the base for at least a period of 30 days.
If you lived with your family members at the base, you might be worried about their rights. Do not panic, as the VA has programs to cover damages to the families as well. They provide health care benefits and any out-of-pocket expenses that may arise from any of the following conditions:
- Female infertility
- Leukemia
- Kidney cancer
- Lung cancer
- Miscarriage
- Renal toxicity
- Hepatic steatosis
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Scleroderma
- Bladder cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Breast cancer
- Neurobehavioral effects
Were you affected by Camp Lejeune’s drinking water?
If you, like millions of others who served at the North Carolina base, are suffering from a health condition caused by the drinking water there, you deserve justice. It can be tedious to handle a legal claim all by yourself while also managing your health and hospital bills. This is where an attorney can lower your burden. Contact one today.