Camp Lejeune Disease And Illness Classifications

One question potential victims of the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune ask is whether their symptoms, or what they are suffering from, were indeed caused by their time at Camp Lejeune.

Because the chemicals that entered into the water and sickened those at the base are so toxic, that is a hard question to answer. The human body reacts differently to exposure to poisons and toxins, and what one person suffers can be totally different from what another person suffers.

For example, one person may develop deadly liver cancer. Another may be just fine, with no cancer at all…but then after may have a child with a severe birth defect. It may be hard to grasp that both, seemingly very different medical issues are caused by exposure to the exact same toxins, but it is possible, and it does happen.

Government Lists Ailments

That’s why the government has a list of ailments and diseases that it considers to be caused by exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The list is so long that it’s likely that almost anybody stationed at the camp who was diagnosed with an ailment or disease will have an ailment or disease that meets the criteria.

The list includes almost every type of cancer you can think of—but the list is not limited to cancers. Miscarriages, Scleroderma, renal toxicity or Parkinson’s Disease, infertility, cleft deformations, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease, are just some of the maladies and ailments that are on the government’s list of eligible, qualifying illnesses or diseases.

Presumptive Conditions

You may have heard that some diseases have what is known as “presumptive status.” This means that the Veterans Administration will assume, for the purpose of initial disability qualification, and often without the need for excessive medical documentation, that your ailment or disease, if it is on the list and you otherwise meet the time requirements to make the claim, was caused by exposure to toxic water.

But there are many more illnesses and diseases that aren’t on the presumptive status list. Just because your particular illness may not have so-called presumptive status does not bar you from making a claim for damages.

Qualifying and Causally Linked Illnesses

There are even what are known as qualifying diseases, which are those where the Veterans Administration will provide some, but not full, benefits for.

Then there are what are called causally linked diseases. These are diseases where it is not definite that exposure will always, definitely cause these diseases—but there is absolutely a scientific, causal link between exposure to the Camp Lejeune water and toxins in the water, and contraction of these diseases.

In the end, there is no need to worry about what category your illness falls into. So long as you were stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987, for any 30 day period—whether as a service member, employee, contractor, or for any other reason—you can, potentially, qualify under the new law for compensation for your illness or disease.

Call the Tennessee Camp Lejeune Justice Act lawyers at Fox Farley Willis & Burnette, PLLC, today to see if you qualify for compensation under new laws that help those who were stationed at Camp Lejeune.

Sources:

publichealth.va.gov/exposures/publications/gulf-war/gulf-war-winter-2017/camp-lejeune.asp

vetshq.com/camp-lejeune-presumptive-diseases-rule/