Veterans Exposed To Camp Lejeune Chemical Trichloroethylene (TCE) Were Substantially More Likely To Develop Parkinson’s Disease
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (May 15, 2023) – Marines who served at Camp Lejeune and exposed to industrial cleaning chemicals had a 70% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
The findings were first released in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), a peer-reviewed medical journal. The chemical in question is trichloroethylene (TCE), which is commonly used in industrial cleaning products.
Dr. Ray Dorsey, the David M. Levy professor of neurology at the University of Rochester, has said that TCE could be one of the largest contributors to Parkinson’s disease.
It has been estimated that around 4.5% to 18% of the United States’ water supply has some level of TCE. However, the levels of TCE at Camp Lejeune were shockingly high due to ground water contamination.
If you have been exposed to contaminated water while staying at Camp Lejeune, you may have legal recourse under the new bill passed by congress. You do not have to be a veteran in order to pursue a claim. President Biden signed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act in 2022. The bill covers all people who stayed, lived or otherwise worked at the base and may have been exposed.
Why The Water At Camp Lejeune Became Toxic
In the 1980’s military researchers started testing the water at the two major water treatment plants for Camp Lejeune. They discovered numerous chemicals in the water including trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride (VC) and benzene. TCE is an industrial solvent used for cleaning metal.
It was discovered that one of the significant sources of TCE contamination was waste disposal practices at ABC One-Hour Cleaners, which served as an off-duty dry cleaning firm. That contaminated water then made its way into the Hadnot Point water treatment plant. Marines, their family and even people simply working at Camp Lejeune were drinking and swimming in the contaminated water for many decades before it was discovered that the water was toxic.
Getting Legal Help After Staying At Camp Lejeune
Have you or someone that you loved developed Parkinson’s disease after staying at Camp Lejeune? Any person that stayed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days from August 1, 1953 through December 31, 1987 may be able to seek damages through a civil claim. Our team of personal injury attorneys at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. are here for you. We have recovered over $1 billion for our deserving clients. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (516) 908-9792.
