Veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune and their families may soon be eligible for compensation for the injuries that they suffered as a result of exposure to contaminated well water. Congress is finally moving forward on a proposal that would include veterans as well as their families in Department of Veterans Affairs treatment plans.

Camp Lejeune is located in North Carolina, and is currently home to hundreds of thousands of veterans, mostly Marines, and their families. However, over the past 3 decades, the camp has become synonymous with toxic well water that exposed thousands of Marines to health risks. The water was contaminated with known carcinogen chemicals, and veterans as well as their families were exposed to these chemicals over a period of 30 years. Many of them developed illnesses like cancer, and died as a result of these. California employment lawyers frequently come across new cases involving illnesses from the toxic exposure every day.

The camp also recorded very high rates of stillbirths. Other veterans at the camp and their family members developed leukemia and other childhood cancers, and suffered birth defects.

However, even as veterans and their families struggled with the effects of the toxic exposure, legislators continued to battle over who was responsible for covering the cost of medical expenses of these illnesses. The Camp Lejeune base is owned by the Department of Defense, while the Department Of Veterans Affairs covers all illnesses, injuries and disabilities that servicemen and women suffer. However, Congress is now close to finalizing a deal under which the Department Of Veterans Affairs will cover the costs of medical expenses for these personnel.