It’s been more than a month since President Joe Biden signed a bill that makes it easier for people to sue the government for illnesses from contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, the Marine Base in North Carolina.
By some estimates, more than one million veterans, family members, and civilian workers may have been exposed to the dangerous chemicals that leaked into the ground from sources on and off the base.
Details are still unclear about how the government will handle what could be one of the largest mass civil cases in history. But personal injury attorneys aren’t waiting.
The new law triggered an instant wave of advertisements aimed at steering potential claimants to lawyers.
“We expected that to happen, but we did not expect it to be a full court press the day of signing,” said Pat Murray, the national legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Potential claimants only have until August 2024 to file. But Murray said neither that deadline nor the urgent-sounding ads are a reason to rush to sign an attorney. He said for now, the VFW is advising veterans to consult an accredited veteran service officer at a group like his or a state veterans affairs office. Those advocates who are trained to navigate the sometimes confusing bureaucracy of benefits.
The ads have helped spread word about...
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