For years, contaminated water poisoned potentially hundreds of thousands of people living on or around Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. While the law has long barred civil lawsuits from pursuing compensation for this exposure, recent changes to the law now allow legal action.
Not every contaminated water case is guaranteed to be successful. In order to recover damages for your illness, you must establish fault. Reach out to an attorney to learn more about determining liability for a Camp Lejeune water contamination case.
The contamination of the drinking water at Camp Lejeune is one of the worst cases of contamination in U.S. history. From 1953 to 1987, the base relied on water from wells that held dangerously high levels of carcinogens and toxins.
The chemicals found in these water sources were largely derived from substances used to clean machinery on the base itself. These chemicals were solvents and degreasers that were commonly used to clean equipment and large weapons on the base. The heavy use of these chemicals resulted in them seeping into the groundwater and contaminating the water source.
It is crucial to note that not all of these chemicals stem directly from the military base. Contaminants were also traced to private businesses located near the base, including a dry-cleaning company. Chemicals used in the dry-cleaning process were prominent in the samples tested at Camp Lejeune.
There are different parties that could be at fault for the contamination that occurred at Camp Lejeune. In many cases, the acts of the U.S. military are to blame for the toxic contamination that occurred at the facility. Unsafe practices involving the removal of solvents and degreasers have created a viable claim for liability against the government.
Lawsuits could also target businesses or individuals who were also to blame. This could include those businesses that were also responsible for dumping dangerous chemicals into the water system.
The important thing to understand is that establishing liability can be difficult. In order to avoid any errors or miss out on potential defendants, it is critical to seek legal counsel from an attorney. A seasoned injury lawsuit attorney could evaluate all of the factors in this case before identifying the potential defendants in a lawsuit.
One issue that has long stood in the way of successful litigation is the statute of limitations. Determining liability in these cases is important, but unfortunately for many people, the statute prevented compensation regardless of who was at fault.
One of the important aspects of recent litigation is an extension of the statute of limitations. Not only has the government waived immunity from being sued over water contamination at Camp Lejeune, but it has also extended the deadline to file lawsuits from exposure that occurred decades ago. The time limit to file these cases will close again two years after the law takes effect, so it is important to act quickly.
If you were exposed to dangerous toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune, legal action could provide you with a path to financial compensation. This compensation could cover all of the hardships you have experienced. Before you can recover damages, you must establish who was at fault. Reach out to an experienced attorney that could assist with these efforts.
