What is the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Payout Per Person?

What Factors Affect the Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Payout or Settlement Per Injured Person?

The Camp Lejeune lawsuit payout per person is going to vary, depending on the type of illness a person has and the severity of that illness. Just as in any case involving a personal injury, like a car accident or a truck accident, the damages available are going to depend upon the severity of the injuries and the amount of suffering. The damages may also depend upon the strength of causation. In other words, an illness that is undeniably linked to a particular cause, in this case the contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune, could potentially demand a higher settlement amount. Therefore, damages in the Camp Lejeune lawsuit, just like any case, will be determined by a number of factors.

Theoretically speaking, less severe injuries from illnesses with weaker causal links to the Camp Lejeune water contaminants may command less damages or smaller settlements. On the other hand, if a person is suffering from a cancer that was clearly caused by the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, and if that cancer has a low survival rate, that person may be entitled to a larger settlement. The same is true for a family that is bringing a wrongful death claim for a loved one who died because of a condition that has been linked to exposure to contaminants in the water at Camp Lejeune. Therefore, the illness or condition; the effects of the condition; and the links between that condition and the water contaminants are all very important factors in estimating a settlement amount. Unfortunately, as you can see, there is no algorithm or clear answer regarding settlement amounts for the Camp Lejeune lawsuit.

Having said that, we can make estimates. We believe that cases involving serious health conditions or death because of exposure to Camp Lejeune’s water contaminants would possibly result in a settlement somewhere in the six figures, even seven figures, depending on the case. A case involving less serious health conditions because of the same exposure to Camp Lejeune water contaminants might bring a settlement in the low to mid six figures. The Camp Lejeune cases are new, and we will know more about settlements as more cases are settled and as more data is accumulated and compiled.

What Types of Cancers and Diseases Are Linked to Exposure to the Contaminants Found in the Water at Camp Lejeune?

As we talked about earlier, causation is an important factor when trying to determine the Camp Lejeune lawsuit payout per person who has been exposed to the contaminants. There have been a number of cancers linked to the various contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune. Some of these cancers are not yet listed as one of the “presumptive conditions” on the VA’s website. However, this could change in the future as more information comes out. Below is a summary of some of the data from the ATSDR Assessment of the Evidence for the Drinking Water Contaminants at Camp Lejeune regarding whether contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune cause various types of cancers.

Note that the cancers and diseases listed below are not the only possible cancers and diseases that could be caused by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Additionally, many of the weak links between the disease and the contaminant could be due to the lack of information available. In other words, more studies could provide sufficient evidence to establish a stronger link between a given contaminant in the water at Camp Lejeune and a type of cancer disease.

Before we jump into the various cancers and their potential links to the water contamination at Camp Lejeune, let’s talk a little about some of the terminology used in the ATSDR Study. You will notice the following four-level categorization of the strength of a causal relationship between the continued exposure to a given water contaminant at Camp Lejeune and the development of cancer or another disease:

• Sufficient: The evidence is sufficient to conclude that there is causal relationship between the contaminants at Camp Lejeune and the type of cancer or disease.
• Equipoise and Above: The evidence is sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship is at least as likely as not, but not sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship exists between the contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune and the specific type of cancer or disease.
• Below Equipoise: The evidence is not sufficient to conclude that a causal relationship between the contaminant and the cancer or disease is at least as likely as not to exist. Alternatively, the evidence could simply be insufficient to make a scientifically informed judgment.
• Against: The evidence suggests the lack of a causal relationship between the cancer or disease and the contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune.

The term “equipoise” is used in this context to refer to the point at which the evidence is in balance between favoring and not favoring causation. The term “equipoise” is widely used in the biomedical literature. It is a concept familiar to those concerned with evidence-based decision-making, and it is often used in VA processes. Now, let’s talk about the causal links between the diseases and the contaminants found in the water at Camp Lejeune.

Kidney Cancer

• TCE: Sufficient Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

• TCE: Sufficient Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Sufficient Evidence for Causation

Multiple Myeloma

• TCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation

Adult Leukemia

• TCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Sufficient Evidence for Causation
• Vinyl Chloride: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Liver Cancer

• TCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Vinyl Chloride: Sufficient Evidence for Causation

Pancreatic Cancer

• TCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Vinyl Chloride: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Prostate Cancer

• TCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Vinyl Chloride: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Breast Cancer

• TCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Bladder Cancer

• TCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Sufficient Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Vinyl Chloride: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Parkinson Disease

• TCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Kidney Disease

• TCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation

Esophageal Cancer

• TCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Vinyl Chloride: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Rectal Cancer

• TCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Brain (Central Nervous System) Cancer

• TCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Vinyl Chloride: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Scleroderma & Systemic Sclerosis

• TCE: Equipoise and Above Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation
• Benzene: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Major Cardiac Birth Defects

• TCE: Sufficient Evidence for Causation
• PCE: Below Equipoise Evidence for Causation

Contaminated Water Treatment Plants at Camp Lejeune

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), there were three key water distribution plants that supplied water to a majority of the family housing units at Camp Lejeune that were contaminated with volatile organic compounds or “VOCs.” Those three contaminated water distribution plants at Camp Lejeune are the following: (1) Hadnot Point; (2) Tarawa Terrace; and (3) Holcomb Boulevard.

Hadnot Point (HP)

Hadnot Point began operation in 1942 and served the Mainside Barracks and family housing at Hospital Point. Until June of 1972, Hadnot Point also served family housing at Midway Park, Paradise Point, and Berkeley Manor. This water treatment plant was contaminated due to leaking underground storage tanks and improper waste disposal.

The main contaminant found in the water at Hadnot Point was trichloroethylene (TCE). The maximum level of TCE was recorded in May 1982, when there was 1,400 parts per billion (ppb). Keep in mind that the maximum safe level is 5 ppb. In addition to TCE, other contaminants were detected at Hadnot Point, including perchloroethylene (PCE), DCE, vinyl chloride, and benzene. The most contaminated wells were all shut down by February of 1985.

Tarawa Terrace (TT)

Tarawa Terrace began operation in 1952 and served Tarawa Terrace family housing and Knox trailer park. The water at Tarawa Terrace was contaminated by an off-base dry-cleaning business called ABC One-Hour Cleaners. This ABC One-Hour Cleaners was located at 2127 Lejeune Boulevard in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and it is now a superfund site.

The main contaminant found in the water at Tarawa Terrace was Perchloroethylene, also known as tetrachloroethylene or “PCE.” The maximum level of PCE in the drinking water at Tarawa Terrace was recorded at 215 parts per billion in February of 1985. Please note that the maximum acceptable limit for PCE in drinking water is 5 parts per billion. The most contaminated wells at Tarawa Terrace were shut down in February 1985, and the whole plant was shut down in March of 1987.

Holcomb Boulevard (HB)

Holcomb Boulevard began operation in 1972 and served family housing at Midway Park, Paradise Point, Berkeley Manor, and Watkins Village. After the Tarawa Terrace plant shut down in 1987, Holcomb Boulevard began serving Tarawa Terrace family housing starting in about March of 1987.

The Holcomb Boulevard water plant was generally not contaminated. However, contaminated water from the Hadnot Point plant was supplied to the Holcomb Boulevard water system while the Holcomb Boulevard plant was shut down from January 27 to February 7 of 1985. Additionally, the contaminated water from the Hadnot Point plant was used on occasion to supplement the areas Holcomb Boulevard supplied during the dryer spring and summer months from 1972 to 1985.

Contact Us for a FREE Legal Consultation with an Attorney for the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuits

Our firm offers free legal consultations with a lawyer for people injured by water contamination at Camp Lejeune. Also, lawyers do the consultations at our law firm, not intake specialists or some other customer service representative. Contact us at our website or call us at (321) 352-7588 to schedule your free legal consultation.

Once you schedule your consultation, Mr. Buist or Mr. Spetsas will call you at the number you provide and at the time you select. We look forward to talking with you and helping you with your claim.

Keep in mind that, if we don’t have the time to give you the attention and care that we feel our clients deserve or if we don't feel like we're the best firm to help you, we can likely refer you to someone that will review your claim and, if they can take it, do it for the same deal: 20% / 25% plus costs. However, we can't guarantee that we can get a firm to take your case for that fee. Either way, please don’t hesitate to call us. We’re in this business to help folks, and we'll do everything we can to help you.