For more than three decades, Marines, sailors, civilian workers, and their families stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina drank, cooked with, and bathed in water laced with toxic chemicals — including trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride. Some of these contaminants were present at concentrations 240 to 3,400 times above safe levels.
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Speak with a Legal AdvocateThe Camp Lejeune lawsuit requires specific criteria related to time period, duration of stay, and diagnosed conditions. Based on your responses, you may not meet the current qualification requirements.
However, every situation is different. If you believe your circumstances are unique, or if you're unsure about any of your answers, we encourage you to speak with a legal advocate who can review your case individually.
Call to Discuss Your SituationThe Camp Lejeune Justice Act establishes clear criteria for who can file a claim. You or your family member may be eligible if the following conditions are met:
This lawsuit is not limited to active-duty military. The contaminated water flowed through housing, barracks, offices, schools, and other facilities across the base. The following groups are covered:
The following illnesses have been scientifically linked to the toxic chemicals found in Camp Lejeune's water supply. This is not an exhaustive list — other conditions may also qualify depending on the evidence:
If your condition is not listed here, that does not necessarily mean you don't qualify. New medical evidence continues to emerge linking additional conditions to the toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune. A legal advocate can evaluate your specific situation.
Speak with a legal advocate who can review your military service records and medical history at no cost.
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The Camp Lejeune water contamination case has been decades in the making. For years, military families who got sick were blocked from suing the federal government by North Carolina's strict statute of repose. That changed in 2022 when Congress passed the PACT Act, which included the Camp Lejeune Justice Act — finally giving victims a path to seek justice in federal court.
Volatile organic compounds — primarily TCE, PCE, benzene, and vinyl chloride — entered the base water supply through industrial spills, waste disposal sites, and a nearby off-base dry cleaning operation. Two of the eight water treatment plants at Camp Lejeune were the primary sources of contamination: Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point.
The Marine Corps identified volatile organic compounds in the drinking water during routine testing. Despite the findings, the contaminated wells were not immediately shut down, and personnel were not warned.
The most contaminated wells at Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point were gradually shut down between 1985 and February 1987, ending the active contamination of the base water supply.
Camp Lejeune was placed on the EPA's National Priorities List (Superfund) due to the severity of the contamination, triggering environmental cleanup efforts that continue to this day.
Congress passed the Janey Ensminger Act, providing VA healthcare benefits to veterans and family members who were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. This was a critical step, but it did not provide financial compensation for injuries.
President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, which included the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. For the first time, individuals exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune gained the right to file civil lawsuits against the U.S. government in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The Act created a two-year filing window.
More than 200,000 administrative claims were filed with the Department of the Navy, and thousands of federal lawsuits were consolidated before U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The government proposed a tiered settlement framework based on illness severity and exposure duration.
The court selected bellwether cases to go to trial, establishing precedents for settlement values. The Department of Justice proposed an Elective Option settlement program offering expedited payments based on a tier system. Negotiations between plaintiff attorneys and the government remain active, with new developments occurring regularly.
As of early 2026, the Camp Lejeune litigation is one of the largest mass tort actions in U.S. history. The government has acknowledged the contamination and its health effects. Bellwether trials have produced verdicts that strengthen the position of claimants. The DOJ's Elective Option program continues to process claims, though many attorneys advise clients to evaluate whether the offered amounts adequately reflect their injuries before accepting.
If you have not yet filed a claim, it is important to act. While the original two-year window has formally closed, extensions, tolling agreements, and individual circumstances may still allow new claims. A legal advocate can assess your specific timeline.
Settlement amounts for Camp Lejeune claims depend on several factors, including the severity of the illness, the length of exposure, and the strength of the medical evidence linking the condition to the contaminated water. Based on the DOJ's proposed settlement framework and early case outcomes, claims are generally organized into three tiers:
Bladder cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, liver cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and other aggressive cancers with strong causal links to TCE and benzene exposure. Cases involving death or severe disability tend toward the higher end.
Breast cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, multiple myeloma, and other malignancies where the causal evidence is strong but may involve additional contributing factors. Length of exposure significantly affects this tier.
Parkinson's disease, kidney disease, liver disease, miscarriage and infertility, aplastic anemia, scleroderma, and other serious non-cancer conditions linked to the toxic exposure.
Important: These are estimates based on publicly available information about the DOJ's proposed settlement tiers and outcomes in similar toxic exposure cases. Actual amounts will vary by individual case. No attorney can guarantee a specific result.
Filing a Camp Lejeune claim involves several steps, but you don't have to navigate them alone. A mass tort attorney experienced with Camp Lejeune cases will handle the legal process on your behalf. Here's what to expect:
Speak with a legal advocate who will review your connection to Camp Lejeune, your medical history, and your eligibility under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. This consultation is free and carries no obligation.
Your attorney will help you assemble the necessary records. Key documents include military service records (DD-214), medical records showing diagnosis and treatment, proof of residency or station assignment at Camp Lejeune, and any VA disability records if applicable.
Under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, claims must first be submitted to the Department of the Navy. The Navy has six months to respond. Your attorney handles this filing and all communication with the government.
If the Navy denies your claim or fails to respond within six months, your attorney can file a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. This is the designated court for all Camp Lejeune water contamination cases.
Most Camp Lejeune cases are expected to resolve through the DOJ's settlement framework rather than individual trials. Your attorney will negotiate on your behalf and advise you on whether a settlement offer is fair given your specific circumstances.
If you don't have all of these documents, don't let that stop you from starting the process. Your attorney can help obtain military service records through the National Personnel Records Center and can work with medical providers to secure the necessary documentation.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act created a two-year filing window beginning August 10, 2022. While that window has technically closed, individual circumstances — including delayed diagnosis, newly established causal links, and tolling agreements — may still allow new claims. The legal landscape is evolving, and exceptions are being evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you have not yet filed, speak with a legal advocate immediately to determine your options.
A legal advocate can review your situation in minutes and tell you exactly where you stand. There is no cost and no obligation.
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Speak with a legal advocate who understands Camp Lejeune cases and can evaluate your claim at no cost to you. Attorneys work on contingency — you pay nothing unless you win.
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