Camp Lejeune water claims: what to check in Texas

Jurisdiction — All Claims Filed in E.D. North Carolina: Every Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) lawsuit must be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Wilmington Division — regardless of where the plaintiff lives. Texas state courts have no jurisdiction over CLJA civil claims. Judge Louise Flanagan presides. Texas-based plaintiffs' counsel litigate in E.D.N.C. on behalf of their clients.

Filing Deadline — Window Has Closed, Discovery Rule May Still Apply: The CLJA created a two-year filing window from August 10, 2022 through August 10, 2024. That window is now closed. Claimants who learned of their diagnosis or its connection to Camp Lejeune contamination near or after the deadline may have arguments under the discovery rule, but these are legally contested. Consultation with a CLJA attorney is advised.

VA Disability Claims Are Separate and Remain Open: VA disability claims for Camp Lejeune presumptive conditions — including NHL, leukemia, bladder and kidney cancer, Parkinson's disease, and neurobehavioral effects — are processed through Texas's VA regional offices in Houston, Waco, and San Antonio. These claims are state-agnostic, not subject to the CLJA deadline, and can be pursued in parallel with or independent of any civil lawsuit.

Texas Veteran Population and Exposure History: Texas has approximately 1.5 million veterans — second only to California. Major Marine and Navy installations at Corpus Christi and San Antonio fed a pipeline of service members rotating through Camp Lejeune. Texas has among the highest raw counts of CLJA administrative claims nationwide. The contaminated water supply at Camp Lejeune — TCE, PCE, benzene, and vinyl chloride — was present from 1953 to 1987. Veterans, dependent family members, and civilian employees who lived or worked on base during that window may be eligible claimants.