Camp Lejeune: Us Navy, Doj Unveil Tiered Payout System For Victims

In a significant development aimed at expediting the resolution of long-pending claims and lawsuits related to water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Justice revealed a new tiered payout system on Wednesday. This initiative seeks to provide compensation to individuals harmed by contaminated water and may offer a quicker path to resolution for the thousands of administrative claims and federal lawsuits that have languished for over a year. As of now, no claims or lawsuits have been resolved regarding the tainted drinking water at the Jacksonville, North Carolina base, which was tainted with hazardous chemicals that have been linked to cancer and various other health issues, according to spokespersons from the Navy and the Department of Justice. The newly introduced system is designed to consider the severity of individuals' illnesses and their level of exposure. It will offer payouts ranging from $100,000 to $550,000 to address claims of injury or death resulting from the contaminated water. Claimants will have the option to choose this settlement as an alternative to pursuing their lawsuit or administrative claim against the government. To date, over 1,100 federal lawsuits and more than 93,000 administrative claims have been filed, all seeking compensation for injuries stemming from the contaminated water. The tiered settlement option is available exclusively to individuals who suffered from specific diseases, such as kidney or liver cancer, and who were present at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days during the known contamination period. Claims can be initiated by the affected individual or their family members. The enactment of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act by President Joe Biden in August 2022 laid the foundation for addressing Camp Lejeune claims. The Department of Health and Human Services has acknowledged that the water, contaminated between 1953 and 1987, may have impacted as many as one million people. Under the PACT Act, an administrative claims process was established for individuals to seek compensation from the Navy. If these claims remain unresolved, the law permits federal lawsuits to be filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Administrative claims must be filed by August 2024. Senior officials from the Navy and the Department of Justice emphasized on Wednesday that the new optional payment mechanism for administrative claims aims to expedite compensation for veterans and their families. However, they provided limited details regarding the specific timeline for this process. To receive payment, a claimant must submit an administrative claim and await a settlement offer from the Navy. Currently, the Navy is processing approximately 18,000 claims. Once a settlement offer is extended, claimants will have 60 days to accept it and can anticipate payment within 60 days thereafter. In case of rejection, claimants retain the option to pursue their lawsuit or administrative claim. No definitive timeline has been established for the commencement of the first trials in the federal court lawsuits.