Thousands of Camp Lejeune lawsuits have been filed over harm caused by contaminated water consumed by residents of the military base. The onslaught of litigation revolving around the many injuries caused by the contaminated water have put judges overseeing the lawsuits in a difficult position.
Faced with processing thousands of Camp Lejeune lawsuits, judges resolve to handle the litigation as efficiently and quickly as possible in order to provide necessary compensation to plaintiffs in dire need of settlements to deal with the effects of their injuries.
If you or a loved one lived on base at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, then you may be eligible to seek compensation for injuries connected to ingestion of water contaminated with chemicals like trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, vinyl chloride and benzene on the base. A settlement from a Camp Lejeune claim can cover the cost of medical bills and other costs associated with your injuries. Consider contacting Dolman Law Group about your Camp Lejeune claim in order to learn how our Camp Lejeune lawyers can maximize the compensation you receive.
Camp Lejeune Lawsuit Settlement Process Streamlined by Judges
As Camp Lejeune hearings went underway U.S. District Court Judge James Dever opened with a question. The judge asked the Department of Justice attorneys if they knew how long the Roman Empire lasted. They replied that they did not whereupon the Judge repeated the question to the plaintiffs’ attorneys to which they similarly replied “No”.
Judge Dever would proceed to inform those in attendance that in his view the Roman Empire lasted about 1900 years. A debatable figure but the point remains it was a fairly massive period of time. Judge Dever would then explain that settling each Camp Lejeune lawsuit individually would take a similar amount of time which he vowed would not let happen.
Administrative Settlement of Camp Lejeune Lawsuits
There are currently thousands of different Camp Lejeune claims filed since over a million people lived on the base from 1953-1987 when the water was contaminated. The staggering number of cases can clog up the workings of the courts, leading to a significant delay in settlements for many Camp Lejeune victims in dire need of compensation for crippling medical bills.
In order to avoid this issue, Judge Dever and his fellow judges involved in the litigation would direct government defense attorneys to tell the Navy to start resolving claims administratively before they reach the court. The judge would express disappointment over the fact that the Department of the Navy which the Marine Corps is considered a part of, had failed to resolve a single Camp Lejeune lawsuit administratively.
The Trend of Mass Litigation Changing the Settlement Process
Class action lawsuits are nothing new but the increase of mass litigation has led to the transformation of a judge’s role in multidistrict litigation “from umpire to manager” as New York University law professor Arthur R. Miller puts it in his comments on the ongoing Camp Lejeune litigation.
Federal courts already struggle under the deluge of lawsuits they must process so the increase in mass litigation has created a situation where judges like Judge Dever must take new approaches to process floods of mass litigation efficiently and promptly. This has meant the adoption of more standardized approaches and the emphasis on administrative resolution of claims which while more prompt can have some downsides such as claimants unhappy with their settlement amounts.
Who is Eligible to File a Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?
Camp Lejeune litigation is still ongoing and new claims are still being filed every day by new plaintiffs. In order to be considered eligible for compensation through a Camp Lejeune settlement a prospective plaintiff first needs to have been diagnosed with a condition considered caused by the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Such illnesses include:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
In addition to a diagnosis of one of these illnesses, a prospective Camp Lejeune lawsuit plaintiff needs to be able to prove that they lived at the base between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, when the contamination existed. You must also be able to prove that you spent at least 30 consecutive days on the base during this period as well.
Veterans, reservists, and guardsmen must have been discharged from the military honorably in order to be eligible to file a Camp Lejeune claim.
Why Consider Dolman Law Group For Your Camp Lejeune Lawsuit?
It is highly recommended that those with illnesses they believe were caused by Camp Lejeune water contamination contact an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. For many this is a fairly obvious conclusion but with a plethora of personal injury lawyers marketing themselves as the best legal professionals available, making a choice as to who to hire can be difficult.
The Camp Lejeune lawyers of Dolman Law Group are aware they are not the only lawyers you may consider to help file a lawsuit. Our firm urges you to not take our word alone that we can offer you exceptional legal assistance but make your choice based on our history of success and the testimony of our former clients.
Choosing Dolman Law Group as your Camp Lejeune lawyers means you don’t just get legal representation from an award-winning personal injury firm with over 100 years of shared experience among our lawyers. Having Dolman Law as your Camp Lejeune Lawyers gives you an ally invested in your case that works closely with you to ensure that your voice is heard.
Contact Dolman Law Group for Help With your Camp Lejeune Lawsuit
Dolman Law Group is currently taking new clients that have been diagnosed with serious illnesses such as cancer as a result of Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure. Our Camp Lejeune lawyers offer free consultations to those harmed by the negligence of Camp Lejeune leadership and will work tirelessly to ensure that your case is given the attention it deserves.
Consider contacting the offices of Dolman Law Group as soon as possible in order to learn how our Camp Lejeune lawyers can help you get the compensation you need to get back on your feet.