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Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff William G. Gillam filed a class action lawsuit against the U.S. government.
- Why: The United States allegedly failed to ensure the safety of the water at Camp Lejeune, leading residents to develop serious health issues.
- Where: The Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit was filed in North Carolina federal court.
For decades, the water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune has been tainted with toxic chemicals that are known to cause cancer and other diseases, according to a class action lawsuit filed Feb. 12 in North Carolina federal court.
Plaintiff William G. Gillam claims he, along with thousands of servicemembers and civilians who resided at Camp Lejeune between the 1950s and 1980s, developed serious diseases and chronic conditions due to their exposure to the toxic water.
The diseases include kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, liver cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, cardiac defects and other health issues, according to the Camp Lejeune class action.
Camp Lejeune tainted water has also allegedly been linked to widespread birth defects and stillbirths.
U.S. failed to test water for contamination, Camp Lejeune class action says
The class action lawsuit alleges federal government officials failed to ensure that toxic chemicals from fuel tanks, industrial facilities and dry cleaning operations did not seep into the water supply servicemembers and civilians used.
“Indeed, for decades, the federal government did not even bother to test the water,” the Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit asserts.
When news of Camp Lejeune tainted water was revealed in the late 2000s, thousands of claims for compensation were reportedly made on behalf of people who were injured or killed due to the toxic water exposure.
“But instead of compensating servicemembers and others for their injuries, the United States steadfastly refused to pay their claims,” the class action lawsuit says.
The United States escaped liability from lawsuits filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act by invoking North Carolina’s 10-year statute of repose, effectively barring all claims “even though the government’s misconduct had not come to light until well after the statutory period had run,” the Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit says.
Now, those affected by Camp Lejeune tainted water may finally have legal recourse, Gillam notes. A new law, called The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, was signed into law in 2022.
If enacted, this law could allow anyone who lived at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987 to seek compensation for certain health issues.
Gillam seeks compensation on behalf of himself and others who suffered certain health problems after being exposed to Camp Lejeune tainted water.
If you suffered from a health issue after exposure to tainted water at Camp Lejeune, you may be able to learn about your legal rights under the pending legislation with the help of lawyers working with Top Class Actions.
The plaintiffs are represented by Eric W. Flynn and Randolph L. Lee of Bell Legal Group PLLC.
The Camp Lejeune tainted water class action lawsuit is In re: Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Exposure Litigation, Case No. 7:23-cv-98, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Southern Division.
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