On Oct. 27 and 28, victims of the largest, most lethal drinking water contamination in U.S. history will join Brockovich and other advocates with Camp Lejeune Legal in two Jacksonville town halls, according to a news release from the group.
Eligible victims have the same requirements as those seeking disability from the VA. Possible financial compensation includes lost wages, medical costs, pain and suffering, and wrongful death. Those already receiving Camp Lejeune disability benefits can still file a claim under the CLJA, but any awards from these claims will be offset by their current benefits provided by the VA, Medicare/Medicaid, or Social Security.
VA Undersecretary of Health Shereef Elnahal said Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, that the VA will hold national events in November to rush new hires into their workforce and fill vacant jobs faster as the agency works to hire 50,000 workers yearly to keep up with the demands and trends affecting veterans’ health care. Elnahal took over the VA’s top health executive post in July after the job remained vacant for five years. (Department of Veterans Affairs)
The second report, released Friday, focuses on the reassessment of the registry. It assessed how the VA and the Defense Department collect and maintain the registry's data regarding a veteran's health effects due to toxic exposure and whether the registry has fulfilled or can carry out the purpose.
Back in the United States, the Department of the Navy announced in 2019 that it would not pay any claims to people who were exposed to toxins in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, between 1953 and 1987. That decision came after a federal court had ruled that the Navy was not responsible for damages because the chemicals found in the water were not regulated until 1989.
“One of our big focuses now is on the children and grandchildren,” said Michael Bousher, the chair of the Florida Veterans Council. “We’ve noticed some of our children and grandchildren are coming down with diseases that are not really related to family history and things like that.”
Sherrod Brown hosted the roundtable and discussed the "Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022", which will secure access to the Department of Veteran Affairs' healthcare and disability benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals. Some veterans who joined the roundtable were exposed to or affected by burn pits during their military service.
For PFOA, the advisory warns of concentrations greater than 0.004 parts per trillion. Samples from Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River showed PFOA contamination over 25,000 parts per trillion.
During WWII, only 5 percent of all military members were Black. Camp Lejeune was segregated from its founding. Black marines and sailors were stationed and received basic training at Montford Point, a segregated military base that is now part of Camp Lejeune. Living conditions there were unhygienic as the military facility was in a swampy area full of bugs. Black service members were only allowed to enter Camp Lejeune with a white marine, and once there, they regularly experienced racism.
Veterans have long dealt with a benefit offset when pursing medical malpractice claims against the Department of Veterans Affairs. You cannot collect twice for the same injury under Federal Tort Claims Act and 38 USC § 1151 for benefits. Camp Lejeune veterans and many civilians need to be aware of possible offset issues that may arise if their lawsuit is successful under the new law.