Tens Of Thousands Of Camp Lejeune Contamination Claims Heading For Court
As consumers seek compensation for one of the highest-profile drinking water contamination events in recent history, it’s becoming increasingly clear that an uphill legal battle lies ahead.
“More than 85% of the people seeking compensation for exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune wouldn’t qualify for the early resolution payouts offered by the government,” Bloomberg Law reported. “The small pool of eligible applicants … suggests an additional tens or even hundreds of thousands of claims filed with the Navy before the … deadline might be disputed and end up in court.”
Consumers in and around Camp Lejeune were exposed to contaminated drinking water for more than three decades and many have fallen seriously ill as a result. The U.S. government recently passed a law clearing a path to financial compensation but there have been numerous obstacles making payouts difficult to obtain.
Now, with the bulk majority of claims likely to face lengthy court battles, it’s possible that some victims will never see their claims satisfied.
“So many of these claimants are older, are very sick, and likely do not have years to wait for a trial,” Jessie Hoerman, the founder and CEO of a data analysis firm that built a database of more than 123,000 potential claimants, told Bloomberg Law.
With the litigation expected to begin this year, some key questions still surrounding potential compensation should be answered, including the liability and damages regarding several specific types of cancer claims. Though many victims would likely prefer to qualify for early resolutions, that legal process will be pivotal.
“Ed Bell of Bell Legal Group, who is lead attorney for the plaintiffs in the litigation, said in a statement that 2024 will be ‘critical’ because the first cases will get to trial,” per Reuters. “The trials will be used to determine the value of claims over different diseases.”
As one of the country’s most shocking drinking water quality failures inches its way toward resolutions, victims are doubtlessly hoping for more answers sooner rather than later.
To read more about how drinking water systems address harmful contaminants, visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Contaminant Removal Solutions Center.