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By now, almost everyone in the US is aware of the disasters caused by the polluted waters at Camp Lejeune. The water in this region, which was contaminated with harsh chemicals such as benzene, vinyl chloride, PCE, and TCE, resulted in chronic, life-threatening ailments that included multiple types of cancer.
The worst part of the incident is that there have been many delays in settling the legal claims filed by the affected veterans and their family members who resided here during the contamination period.
In September 2023, Bloomberg Law stated that the government started providing settlements of $450,000 to compensate the Camp Lejeune inhabitants affected by the toxic waters. The initiative was taken to quickly end what might have been hundreds of thousands of claims.
The Navy and the Justice Department declared that they would speed up the payouts. However, there was no data on the date of the first settlements. This plan was initiated when there have been over 93,000 claims filed so far, with veterans complaining about the sluggish pace of addressing and processing the claims.
Commenting on this situation, Erik Raven, Under Secretary of the Navy, asserted that they are committed to ensuring that each Camp Lejeune valid claim gets resolved as fairly and quickly as possible. The question is, has this initiative proven to be useful so far? In this article, we will discuss this and also suggest how veterans and others affected by the harmful waters in this region can get compensated for their pain and suffering.
A Closer Look at the Compensation Plan
TorHoerman Law states that the Department of Veterans Affairs disclosed close to a million people had been exposed to the harsh waters in Camp Lejeune between the years 1953 and 1987. There have been many who have blamed the contamination as the leading cause of Parkinson’s, cancer, and other fatal ailments that have affected their quality of life and overall life span.
This payout proposal makes way for qualified claimants to collect their settlements depending on the disease and the time spent at the base. The list of diseases that are included in the settlement list includes many types of cancer, such as kidney cancer and even Parkinson’s disease.
For example, veterans who have spent over 5 years at the base and have developed kidney cancer qualify for a payout of $45,000. On the other hand, another person who has been on the base for less than a year and has suffered from Parkinson’s disease can get as much as $100,000. The Navy further asserted that claims that include death can receive an extra $100,000.
The Dueling Plans
This announcement was made after the lawyers of the victims had already filed their dueling plans concerning the way to progress with civil trials. Close to 1,100 lawsuits were filed by claimants whose initial claims were not resolved or rejected by the Navy. The court system is gearing up to face more claims and it might gain the reputation of the biggest mass torts so far.
The lawyers of the plaintiffs proposed to initiate the trials during the first half of 2024 and consolidate various plaintiffs into one trial. The lawyers in the Justice Department had opposed consolidating cases and stated that they needed extra time for preparation.
Therefore, the potential victims need to first file their claim with the Navy. As and when the claims get rejected or stagnate for close to 6 months, it is possible to sue the government. Given the current number of claims, the government has decided to inspect all the administrative lawsuits and claims that were filed and provide settlement offers as and when they qualify.
Can You Expect a Settlement Payout?
Have you been affected by the toxic waters of Camp Lejeune and want to get compensated for your ailment and other losses? If so, chances are you would want to know how much is the Camp Lejeune settlement per person. It could be anything between $10,000 and $1,000,000 per person, based on the strength of your case and the degree of suffering you’ve experienced.
However, this estimation is not a guarantee of the exact settlement payout each person will receive. A lot depends on the individual case and the lawyer who decides to present your case in court. Therefore, affected individuals must get in touch with an expert lawyer and submit every piece of evidence they have to the lawyer so that they can use it to build a solid case.
Once you receive your settlement payout, you can use it to cover all your economic and non-economic damages.
In conclusion, Camp Lejeune veterans and their relatives have undergone massive delays in terms of claim settlements. This has led to anguish and disappointment for many, as they needed that compensation amount to cover their medical treatment costs and other expenses. If you have been affected by the toxic waters and want to make the most of this latest payout option, get in touch with a lawyer to arrive at an informed decision.
