SAN DIEGO — The Camp Lejeune Justice Act may allow as many as a million people, primarily marines and their families, to sue the government over contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
Many veterans, some of whom now live in San Diego County, say they suffered illnesses due to their service at the Marine Corps base in North Carolina.
“If this would’ve been a corporation that did this, their asses would’ve been in court decades ago,” said Jerry Ensminger, a retired marine drill instructor, who lived at the base housing known as ‘Tarawa Terrace,’ in Camp Lejeune over 40 years ago when the water was not safe. In 1982, his 6-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia and died three years later.
“Nothing compares to watching one of your kids suffer and go through hell, and I blame the Marine Corps and the Department of the Navy,” said Ensminger.
The U.S. government acknowledges that from 1953 to 1987, veterans and civilians may potentially have been exposed to dangerous chemicals in the Camp Lejeune drinking water. Some areas on base, levels were 400 times what safety standards allow.
“The clock ran out on these claims because the United States government concealed it,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal.
In August, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act was folded into new legislation that expands VA coverage for toxic exposure illnesses and opens the courthouse doors for Camp Lejeune families, who now have a two-year window to file their claims.
“It’s huge, I mean, to be able to assist veterans and their families; it’s near and dear to my heart,” said Paul Starita, a former marine and trial attorney with Gomez Trial Attorneys, which is involved with about 200 clients related to the Camp Lejeune toxic water crisis.
“More important, I think, than the money is the people bringing these cases,” said Starita. “Yes, they’ll be compensated, but recognizing that the government caused them harm is really important.”
TV commercials from law firms have been flooding the airwaves looking to recruit Camp Lejeune victims.
To protect veterans and their families from predatory law firms, Congressman Darrel Issa is now proposing a new bill, the Camp Lejeune Veterans and Families Protection Act, which would cap attorneys’ fees at 25% for any of these cases.
“Everyone sees on TV, you know, these commercials where you’ve got folks advertising,” said Starita. “So I can see Congress taking an interest in ensuring that the individuals who are harmed, the victims of the contamination, you know, don’t get gapped. For us, whether it’s a
40% fee, a 35% fee, a 25% fee, it doesn’t matter. We are here to serve our veterans, and it doesn’t make any difference to us one way or the other.”
The Camp Lejeune water claims are shaping to be one of the largest mass litigations in U.S. history. The Navy estimates over 15,000 claims have been filed as of December 16, but they have not commented on the size of the potential awards.
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