Camp Lejeune Water Contamination — Veterans and Families
Veteran’s guide to VA disability compensation, presumptive eligibility, filing the claim, and finding help.
At-a-glance
Presumptive status:
Presumptive service-connection for 8 conditions. Additionally, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (2022) created a separate federal court pathway for toxic-tort damages over and above VA disability.
Presumptive service-connection for 8 conditions. Additionally, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (2022) created a separate federal court pathway for toxic-tort damages over and above VA disability.
Rating tiers:
Each presumptive condition rated per its own diagnostic code.
Each presumptive condition rated per its own diagnostic code.
Step-by-step guide
How to file a Camp Lejeune water contamination claim — 3 pathways
Read the full guide →How common is Camp Lejeune among veterans?
Roughly 1 million Marines, sailors, and family members were exposed between August 1953 and December 1987. An estimated 500,000+ are living today.
What every veteran should know
- Presumptive conditions: adult leukemia, aplastic anemia, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Parkinson disease.
- Eligible service period: August 1, 1953 – December 31, 1987 — with 30+ cumulative days on base.
- Family members who lived on-base during the same window are eligible for VA healthcare (not disability comp) and for the Camp Lejeune Justice Act toxic-tort pathway.
- The Camp Lejeune Justice Act filing deadline is August 10, 2024 OR two years after the federal government denies your administrative claim — whichever is later. Consult a qualified plaintiff attorney; most work on contingency.
- You CAN simultaneously pursue VA disability and a Camp Lejeune Justice Act lawsuit. They are separate pathways and do not offset each other dollar-for-dollar.
What to do next
Check PACT Act eligibility →
Our free matcher checks your service era against 60+ presumptive conditions.
Find a County VSO (free claims help) →
County or state service officers file claims for you at no charge.
Download VA disability: VA Form 21-526EZ. Camp Lejeune Justice Act lawsuit: filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (you do not need to reside in NC). →
Official VA form for Camp Lejeune claims. File directly or work through a CVSO.
Other veteran-condition guides
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