On the 6th of September,
As reported by agencies the United States Navy in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice unveiled a structured framework of compensation for individuals who have suffered harm due to the contamination of water at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Their aim is to expedite the resolution of a multitude of administrative claims and federal lawsuits that have languished unresolved for over a year.
To date, none of these claims or lawsuits pertaining to the tainted drinking water at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, which was riddled with hazardous chemicals that led to cancer and various other health maladies, have been successfully concluded, according to representatives from the Navy and the Department of Justice.
The innovative system that has been introduced will provide compensation ranging from $100,000 to $550,000, contingent on the specific illnesses suffered and the duration of exposure to the contaminated water. This will serve as an alternative for certain claimants, in lieu of pursuing their lawsuit or administrative claim against the government. Thus far, there have been in excess of 1,100 federal lawsuits and over 93,000 administrative claims filed, all seeking recompense for injuries resulting from the polluted water.
It’s worth noting that this tiered settlement option is exclusively accessible to individuals afflicted with specific ailments, such as kidney or liver cancer, who were present at Camp Lejeune for a minimum of 30 days during the period when the water was known to be contaminated. These claims may be initiated either by the injured party or their immediate family.
In August of the year 2022, President Joe Biden affixed his signature to the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, a piece of legislation that initially outlined the procedures for Camp Lejeune-related claims. The Department of Health and Human Services has conceded that the chemicals present in the water, which was tainted between 1953 and 1987, may have adversely affected up to a million individuals. The PACT Act instituted an administrative claims process through which individuals could seek compensation from the Navy. In the event that these claims remain unresolved, it affords the option to file federal lawsuits in the Eastern District of North Carolina. It is essential to note that administrative claims must be submitted by August of 2024, as stipulated by the law.
High-ranking officials from the Navy and the Department of Justice conveyed to the press on Wednesday that the introduction of this elective payment mechanism for administrative claims is geared towards expediting the disbursement of funds to veterans and their families. However, these officials refrained from providing specific details regarding the timeline of this process.
To receive compensation, a claimant will be required to initiate an administrative claim and await communication from the Navy regarding the proposed settlement. At present, the Navy is in the process of adjudicating approximately 18,000 claims, as per official reports.
Once a settlement offer has been transmitted, claimants will have a 60-day window within which to accept it, with payment expected within 60 days thereafter. In the event of rejection, claimants retain the option to pursue their lawsuit or administrative claim. It’s important to note that no definitive timetable has been established for the commencement of the initial federal court trials related to these lawsuits.
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