Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Attorney

Veterans who were exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune during the mid-1950s all the way through the mid-1980s may qualify for VA Disability Benefits or an increased disability rating under the new VA rule. The rule creates a presumption of service-connection for eight illnesses that are associated with the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. This new rule applies to active duty, reserve component, and National Guard members who have served at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River.

The presumptive service-connected diseases linked to the water contamination are:

  • Adult leukemia
  • Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Bladder cancer
  • Kidney cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Parkinson’s disease.

The VA presumes these diseases are service-connected. Therefore, the VA does not require veterans to prove the contaminated water caused or aggravated their illness. Instead, a veteran must prove the following criteria:

  • The veteran received a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable from active duty, reserve or National Guard service.
  • The veteran served at Camp Lejeune (or MCAS New River) for a total of at least 30 days – consecutive or non-consecutive – between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
  • The veteran currently suffers from one of the eight presumptive conditions.

Additionally, under a 2012 law, veterans and their family members who were stationed or lived at Camp Lejeune during the contamination period can receive certain VA healthcare benefits if they are suffering from one of the following fifteen illnesses linked to exposure to the contaminated water:

  • Bladder cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Female infertility
  • Hepatic steatosis
  • Kidney cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Lung cancer
  • Miscarriage
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes
  • Neurobehavioral effects
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Renal toxicity
  • Scleroderma

If you filed a claim related to Camp Lejeune contamination and the VA denied it, contact us for help with the appeals process. We provide free consultations to veterans nationwide.