You may have heard about the lawsuits to recover damages connected with toxic water at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina. What you may not know is that there is a deadline to file your Camp LeJeune lawsuit: August 10, 2024. This may seem like a long time off, but it’s closer than you may realize.
That’s because it will take time to determine your eligibility to file a claim (among other tasks). If you believe you’re eligible for damages related to contaminated water at Camp LeJeune, early action is key. The attorneys of Rueb Stoller Daniel are here to advise you.
What the Camp LeJeune Lawsuit Deadline Means for You
August 10, 2024 is the deadline for filing a tort (personal injury) claim related to Camp LeJeune’s water. But before a lawsuit can be filed, certain steps have to be taken. This case is different from private tort lawsuits. A special notice has to be filed to inform the government of your intent to take legal action. If you fail to file the notice and lawsuit, and August 10, 2024 passes, your claim will be permanently barred.
What Else Has to Be Done Before August 10, 2024?
The notice and actual filing of a lawsuit are the final stages to initiate your litigation. But there is plenty more to do before you’re even ready to take these steps. Having an experienced mass tort and personal injury attorney will be critical to fulfilling these requirements.
Determining Your Eligibility
Anyone who was at Camp LeJeune for 30 days between August 1, 1953, to December 31, 1987, is potentially eligible. This includes veterans, their families, military personnel, and others. So if you were stationed, lived, or worked at Camp LeJeune in that timeframe, consider taking action. You will, however, need to prove that you qualify as a plaintiff. This may take time depending on how long ago you were on the base.
Obtaining Your Evidence
Before you can file, you need to make the strongest case possible for the most money available. That means proving you came in contact with the water (by drinking or using it to cook, bathe, or wash). You also need to demonstrate how exactly you were harmed.
The water at Camp LeJeune has been known to contain dangerous chemicals called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These substances have been linked to several medical problems, such as:
- Numerous cancers (esophageal, kidney, breast, bladder, lung, and others)
- Leukemia
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Multiple myeloma
- Female infertility
- Renal toxicity
- Kidney damage
- Female infertility
- Scleroderma
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Hepatic steatosis
You will therefore need strong medical evidence to back up your injury claims. Another example of the evidence you may require concerns your lost wages or income-earning capacity. If the contaminated water at Camp LeJeune made it difficult or impossible to work, you can recover damages for such losses. But as with anything else, you’ll need proof.
Building Your Case
The final step before filing is drafting and preparing the court papers you will file. The core of this stage is the complaint itself, which will lay out your argument for compensation. You will also work with your attorney to prepare expert witness and other court testimony. This is part of establishing the strength of your claims and supporting your request for maximum damages.
Our firm has a network of expert witnesses ready to give testimony on critical scientific, medical, and other technical subjects. We will prepare and file the necessary papers to launch your lawsuit. We will also assist with efforts to settle out of court.
We’re Ready to Help Your Camp LeJeune Contaminated Water Claim
If you or a loved one were injured because of the water at Camp LeJeune, don’t delay your claim. Lawsuits are being filed now that will shape the case and, particularly, the compensation available to plaintiffs. Rueb Stoller Daniel is ready to get started filing your lawsuit. Reach out to us today.
