Camp Lejeune water claims: what to check in New York

Jurisdiction — All Claims Filed in E.D. North Carolina: CLJA civil lawsuits are filed exclusively in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington Division. New York courts — state or federal — have no jurisdiction over CLJA claims. New York plaintiffs' attorneys litigate in E.D.N.C., often in coordination with North Carolina co-counsel. Judge Louise Flanagan oversees the consolidated docket.

Filing Deadline — Window Has Closed, Discovery Rule May Still Apply: The CLJA filing window ran August 10, 2022 to August 10, 2024 and is now closed. Some plaintiffs who did not connect their diagnosis to Camp Lejeune exposure until near or after the deadline may assert the discovery rule, but courts have not yet uniformly resolved this question. Legal counsel should be contacted.

VA Disability Claims Are Separate and Remain Open: VA disability claims for presumptive Camp Lejeune conditions — NHL, leukemia, kidney and bladder cancer, esophageal cancer, Parkinson's disease, neurobehavioral effects, and others — are processed through the New York VA regional offices (Manhattan and Buffalo) and are not subject to the CLJA deadline. These benefits are available independently of civil litigation.

New York Veteran Population and Exposure History: New York has approximately 650,000 veterans. New York veterans often served in East Coast Marine and Navy commands with rotations through Camp Lejeune. The New York metro area VA network handles a substantial share of Camp Lejeune presumptive condition claims. Camp Lejeune's water supply — contaminated with TCE, PCE, benzene, and vinyl chloride — posed health risks to all residents and workers on base from 1953 to 1987.