CLJA Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for a CLJA claim, an individual must satisfy three requirements: First, physical presence at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina — not any other military installation — for a minimum of 30 cumulative days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. Presence at nearby Camp Geiger, MCAS New River, or other adjacent installations does not qualify unless the individual also used Camp Lejeune's contaminated water systems. Second, a diagnosis of a condition that can be causally linked to the contaminated water — conditions with the strongest evidence include the eight VA Presumptive Conditions, but ATSDR-linked conditions beyond that list may also support a claim with appropriate expert evidence. Third, a timely administrative claim filed with the Navy JAG on or before August 10, 2024. This deadline has now passed.
VA Disability Eligibility — Separate and Still Open
VA disability eligibility for Camp Lejeune is governed by different rules than the CLJA. To receive VA disability benefits for a Camp Lejeune-linked condition, a veteran must: have served on active duty (not as a civilian employee); have been stationed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987; have a current diagnosis of one of the eight VA Presumptive Conditions; and have been honorably discharged (or discharged under conditions other than dishonorable). There is no filing deadline equivalent to the CLJA's August 10, 2024 cutoff for VA disability claims. Veterans who were previously denied VA disability for Camp Lejeune-linked conditions can file new claims or request reexamination.
Documenting Your Eligibility
Proving eligibility requires documentation of two things: your presence at Camp Lejeune and your diagnosis. For veterans, presence is usually documented through DD-214 discharge papers, military orders, unit records, and pay stubs showing Camp Lejeune as the duty station. For family members, presence may be documented through dependent ID card records, base housing lease agreements, school enrollment records from schools on the installation, and photographs or correspondence that place the individual at the base. For civilian workers, DoD employment records, Social Security Administration earnings records, and contractor payroll records can establish presence. Your attorney can assist in obtaining these records through Freedom of Information Act requests and other military records sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Pages
Camp Lejeune Eligible Conditions
ATSDR research has identified more than 15 diseases and conditions associated with Camp Lejeune water contamination, ranging from blood cancers to Parkinson's disease to birth defects. The eight VA Presumptive Conditions have the strongest evidentiary foundation and automatically qualify veterans for service-connected disability. Additional ATSDR-linked conditions can support CLJA claims for those who filed before the August 10, 2024 deadline with appropriate expert medical evidence.
Camp Lejeune Water Supply — Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point Contamination History
Camp Lejeune had two distinct water systems — Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point — each contaminated by different chemicals from different sources. Understanding which system supplied water to a claimant's specific location on base is critical for matching the chemical exposure to the diagnosed condition and building the strongest possible causation argument.
Camp Lejeune Settlements — What to Expect in 2026
As of 2026, Camp Lejeune litigation in the Eastern District of North Carolina is in the active phase with early case resolutions emerging. No global settlement fund has been established. Individual case values vary widely by condition severity, causation strength, and documented damages. The eight VA Presumptive Conditions continue to anchor the highest-value cases.
Camp Lejeune Documentation — Medical and Service Records to Gather
A Camp Lejeune claim lives or dies on documentation. Two categories of records are essential: evidence of presence at Camp Lejeune during the contamination period, and medical records documenting the diagnosis and treatment of the covered condition. Starting to gather these records immediately — before they are lost, destroyed, or become harder to obtain — is one of the most important steps any claimant can take.
Camp Lejeune Wrongful Death Claims
The CLJA expressly permits wrongful death claims on behalf of individuals who died from Camp Lejeune-linked conditions. Estates and surviving family members of veterans, dependents, and civilian workers who died from covered conditions may bring these claims if an administrative claim was filed on the decedent's behalf before August 10, 2024.
Camp Lejeune Family Member Claims
The CLJA does not limit claims to veterans — dependent family members who lived at Camp Lejeune during the contamination period are fully eligible. Spouses, children, and other dependents who drank the contaminated water in base housing, cooked with it, and bathed in it were exposed to the same toxic chemicals as the servicemembers. Family member claims have produced significant recoveries, particularly for childhood cancers and for dependents with the eight VA Presumptive Conditions.
Camp Lejeune Civilian Worker Claims
Civilian Department of Defense employees and contractors who worked at Camp Lejeune during the contamination period are eligible for CLJA claims on the same basis as military personnel. Civilians who worked in offices, workshops, cafeterias, schools, or other facilities served by the contaminated water systems at Tarawa Terrace or Hadnot Point were exposed to the same toxic chemicals as servicemembers.
Camp Lejeune Chemicals: TCE, PCE, Benzene, and Vinyl Chloride
Four primary toxic chemicals contaminated Camp Lejeune's water supply at concentrations far exceeding EPA safety standards. Each chemical is linked to distinct cancer types and health effects, and understanding which chemical contaminated which water system helps establish the causal pathway between an individual's specific exposure and their specific diagnosis.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act — What the Law Says and Who It Covers
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 was a landmark federal law that gave contamination victims the legal right to sue the U.S. government — overriding North Carolina's statute of repose and federal sovereign immunity that had previously blocked all claims. Understanding what the law says, who it covers, and what it does NOT do (it does not provide automatic compensation) is essential for every claimant.
Camp Lejeune Filing Deadline — What Closing of the Admin Window Means
The administrative claim deadline under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act was August 10, 2024. That window is permanently closed for new CLJA claimants. This page explains what the closure means, what options remain for those who did not file, and what is happening with the tens of thousands of cases that were filed before the deadline.
Camp Lejeune VA Disability Claims
VA disability benefits for Camp Lejeune veterans remain fully open and are separate from CLJA litigation. Veterans with one of the eight VA Presumptive Conditions who served at Camp Lejeune for 30+ days during the contamination period can receive monthly tax-free disability compensation and VA healthcare without proving causation. This path is available regardless of whether a CLJA claim was filed.
Camp Lejeune Cancer Claims — Cancers Covered and What They Mean for Your Case
Cancer is the most common serious condition among Camp Lejeune claimants. Multiple cancer types are covered under both the CLJA and the VA's presumptive conditions program. The specific cancer type, stage at diagnosis, and the chemical most likely responsible all influence case value and litigation strategy in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Camp Lejeune and Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is one of the eight VA Presumptive Conditions for Camp Lejeune veterans. Trichloroethylene (TCE) is now one of the best-documented environmental causes of Parkinson's, acting through mitochondrial damage to dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra. Veterans who served at Hadnot Point during the contamination period and later developed Parkinson's have strong cases for both VA disability and CLJA compensation.
Camp Lejeune Male Breast Cancer
Male breast cancer is one of the rarest cancers in the general population — fewer than 1% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Yet ATSDR researchers found a 10-fold elevated risk of male breast cancer in male Marines who served at Camp Lejeune compared to Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton. This dramatic excess risk is one of the most statistically striking findings in all of Camp Lejeune health research and makes male breast cancer claims among the most persuasive in CLJA litigation.
Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
Camp Lejeune is one of the largest environmental contamination disasters in American military history. For over three decades, servicemembers, their families, and base workers drank, cooked with, and bathed in water laced with industrial solvents at concentrations hundreds of times above safe limits. The federal government knew about contamination as early as the 1980s but delayed disclosure for years. The Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 (part of the PACT Act) finally gave victims the right to sue the federal government — a right previously blocked by North Carolina's statute of repose. The administrative claim deadline under the CLJA was August 10, 2024, and is now closed for new claimants. However, tens of thousands of claimants filed timely administrative claims and are now engaged in litigation in the Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington Division. Our firm represents clients in that litigation and also assists veterans in filing and upgrading VA disability claims, which remain open regardless of the CLJA deadline.
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