For decades, soldiers and families of service members living on the grounds of North Carolina’s U.S. Marine Corps base, Camp Lejeune, have suffered from serious medical conditions blamed on contaminated water. Many victims have filed for veterans disability benefits only to have their claims denied. This may soon change.
The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) has announced it is considering changes to agency policy that would allow certain individuals affected by contaminated water at the base to receive disability benefits.
An article from the Military Times explains the VA has compiled a list of 15 different conditions linked to Camp Lejeune drinking water. In the past, individuals suffering from these conditions were reimbursed for medical expenses they incurred, but many were not able to receive disability benefits.
The VA is considering a change in policy that would allow soldiers and their family members who developed kidney cancer, angiosarcoma of the liver, or acute myelogenous leukemia after living at Camp Lejeune to potentially receive veterans’ disability benefits.
One of our missions at HensonFuerst is to help veterans get the benefits they deserve, and our North Carolina veterans’ disability lawyers are hopeful the changes are implemented as soon as possible.