Camp Lejeune water claims: what to check in North Carolina

Jurisdiction — All Claims Filed in E.D. North Carolina (Home Court): Every CLJA civil lawsuit must be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington Division, before Judge Louise Flanagan. For North Carolina residents, this means filing in the same federal district where Camp Lejeune is located — in Onslow County, Jacksonville. North Carolina state courts nonetheless have no jurisdiction over CLJA claims, which are governed exclusively by federal law.

Filing Deadline — Window Has Closed, Discovery Rule May Still Apply: The CLJA two-year filing window ran from August 10, 2022 through August 10, 2024. That window is now closed. North Carolina residents who have been recently diagnosed — or who only recently discovered that their illness is connected to Camp Lejeune water contamination — may have discovery rule arguments, but these remain contested. Contact CLJA counsel.

VA Disability Claims Are Separate and Remain Open: VA disability claims for Camp Lejeune-linked presumptive conditions are processed through North Carolina's VA regional office in Winston-Salem. These claims are entirely separate from CLJA civil suits, are not bound by the 2024 civil deadline, and can be filed at any time. North Carolina veterans, military retirees, and their dependents may simultaneously pursue VA benefits and civil litigation.

North Carolina Veteran Population and Exposure History: North Carolina has approximately 700,000 veterans — and the state where Camp Lejeune is located. North Carolina is home to Camp Lejeune itself (Jacksonville, Onslow County) and has the highest concentration of directly affected veterans, family members, and civilian base workers. Current and former North Carolina residents who lived or worked on base between 1953 and 1987 represent the geographic core of the CLJA litigation. Contaminated water — TCE, PCE, benzene, and vinyl chloride — flowed through the Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point treatment systems from 1953 to 1987, creating elevated risks of NHL, leukemia, bladder and kidney cancers, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, Parkinson's disease, and neurobehavioral effects.