Our attorneys are currently seeking Camp Lejeune lawsuits around the country. If you (or a deceased family member) lived or worked at Camp Lejeune prior to 1988 and were subsequently diagnosed with cervical cancer, you may have a potential Camp Lejuene lawsuit.
On this page:
- Summary of water contamination lawsuits from Camp Lejeune
- Scientific evidence linking cervical cancer to Camp Lejeune
- explain who may be eligible to bring a Camp Lejeune cervical cancer case
- estimated settlement value of Camp Lejeune cervical cancer cases
About the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
Camp Lejeune construction began in the late 1930s as a U.S. Marine Training and Operation Center. The base became operational in 1940.
In 1953, a major housing complex, Tarawa Terrace, was built. Later that year, an off-base dry cleaning establishment – the now infamous ABC Cleaners – began operations.
To support Lejeune residents and employees, the Marine Corps built and operated its own water supply system which taps into underground aquifers with well pumps to satisfy the seven million gallons of water a day needed for the operation of the base.
Camp Lejeune uses many industrial chemicals because preparing for war requires industrial chemicals. The key is making sure these chemicals are disposed in a way that does not cause harm to the same people that are protecting us as they prepare for war. But the disposal practices for handling these toxic chemicals was far from adequate. An off-base dry-cleaners also contributed to pour toxic chemicals into the drinking water.
We now know that the water at Camp Lejeune from 1953 to 1987 was contaminated with bad water that had high levels of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause cancer and a host of other injuries, including cervical cancer.
What Chemicals Were in the Water at Camp Lejeune?
There were 2 specific chemicals that were found at dangerously high levels in the Camp Lejeune trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE). PCE and TCE belong to a chemical family known as chlorinated solvents or organic solvents. Like all VOCs, chlorinated solvents are known to be toxic to the human body and linked to cancer.
Benzene and vinyl chloride were also found in the Camp Lejeune water a high levels. Vinyl chloride and benzene are notorious human carcinogens that have been linked to several different types of cancer.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus . The cervix connects the body of the uterus to the vagina The endocervix is the part of the cervix closest to the body of the uterus. The exocervix is the part next to the vagina.
The main types of cells covering the cervix are squamous cells on the exocervix and glandular cells on the endocervix. The place these cell types meet is called the transformation zone. Cervical cancer often begins in this transformation zone.
Most cervical cancers originate in the cells lining the cervix. These cells typically have a slower path to changing into cancerous cells. The normal cells of the cervix slowly develop pre-cancerous changes that evolve to cancer.
Around 13,000 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year, which puts it outside the top 15 most common types of cancer in the U.S.
Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in women between 35 and 45 and around 3,000 women die from each year.
Cervical cancer was once one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in women. Today, cervical cancer has an overall 5-year survival rate of 66%. This relatively high rate of survival is largely because most cervical cancer cases are diagnosed early through pap smear testing. Squamous cell cervical cancer is an ideal disease for screening because of the slow evolution from normal cells to cancer. Approximately 90% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. These So the pap smear test has been very effective in reducing the number deaths.
Evidence Linking Camp Lejeune Toxic Water to Cervical Cancer
Extensive studies have been done by the ATSDR and several other health agencies to assess the health impact of the water contamination at Camp Lejeune on base residents and employees. The impact of occupational exposure to the chemicals in the Lejeune water (PCE and TCE) has been the subject of various other epidemiological studies. These studies have found an association between exposure to the chemicals in the water at Camp Lejeune and elevated rates of cervical cancer.
The ATSDR compared health histories of women who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune and compared them to women who lived or worked at another Marine Corps base with clean water (Camp Pendleton, CA). The ATSDR Study based on this data found that the Camp Lejeune cohort exhibited significantly higher rates of cervical cancer compared to the Camp Pendleton control group. The ATSDR data also indicated that those women with the most exposure to the contaminated Lejeune water had the highest rates of cervical cancer.
Who is Eligible to File a Camp Lejeune Cervical Cancer Lawsuit?
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) is a new federal law that gives any individual who worked or lived at Camp Lejeune for at least 1 month between 1953 and 1987 the right to bring a civil lawsuit against the government for harm caused by the toxic water at Lejeune.
To be eligible to file a CLJA claim you must be able to show that you meet this residence or employment eligibility criteria and prove that you were subsequently diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Settlement Payouts for a Camp Lejeune Cervical Cancer Lawsuit
Our lawyers estimate that a successful Camp Lejeune lawsuit involving myelodysplastic syndrome could have an average settlement payout of around $105,000 and $300,000. This is on the middle to low end of Camp Lejeune settlement amount our lawyers have projected.
Why lower settlement amounts for cervical cancer lawsuit from Camp Lejeune? It is not fair. But our lawyers want to give you an honest projection. The reason for lower estimated payouts is that the connection to cervical cancer does not have the same epidemiological evidence of some of the other diseases from contaminated water. Also, cervical cancer thankfully has better typical outcomes compared to ovarian and other female cancers. There could, however, be Camp Lejeune cervical cancer cases worth over $1 million because of compelling circumstances, such as a premature death.
Example Camp Lejeune Cervical Cancer Lawsuit
One example cervical cancer lawsuit alleging the cancer was caused by the bad water at Lejeune is McClarrin, et al. v. United States (7:22-cv-135). The McClarrin case was brought by a group of three plaintiffs alleging that they were exposed to the Lejeune water as residents and/or in utero and developed cervical cancer as a result.
The first plaintiff, Claudia McClarrin, lived in the family housing on base at Camp Lejeune while her husband was stationed there from October 1973 to May 1975. Sometime after here time at Lejeune, McClarrin was diagnosed with cervical cancer. The Complaint states that she also suffered two miscarriages.
Plaintiff Linda Crisp brought claims as administrator of the estate of her deceased sister, Michelle Causey. Causey lived at Camp Lejeune from the time she was born in 1972 until 1973, while her father was stationed at the base. Her mother was not at Camp Lejeune during pregnancy so there was no in utero exposure. Causey was later diagnosed with cervical cancer and she died and 2010 at the age of 38.
In Utero Exposure Allegedly Caused Cervical Cancer
The final plaintiff, Patricia Warren, also brought claims on behalf of the estate of her deceased relative, Roseanne Warren. Roseanne Warren’s exposure history is somewhat unique because she is alleging primarily in utero exposure while her mother was at Camp Lejeune during pregnancy.
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that the decedent “was born at Camp Lejeune on May 6, 1971, and resided there, including in utero, for not less than 30 days.” Warren was later diagnosed with cervical cancer and then later kidney and hip cancer. She died in 2000 at age 29.
All three of the plaintiffs assert a single cause of action under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. They also allege that their exposure to the contaminants in the Camp Lejeune water “caused (or at least as likely as not caused)” their cervical cancer.
How were they able to file a lawsuit without waiting the six months required by the statute? These claims were eligible to skip the administrative process because this is the second time these cervical cancer lawsuits have been filed. They had already gone through the 6-month mandatory administrative claim process. These re-filed CLJA cases are known as “legacy cases.”
Contact Us About a Camp Lejeune Cervical Cancer Case
If you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune between 1953 and 1987 and you were later diagnosed with cervical cancer, call us today at 800-553-8082 to see if you have a case. You can also get a free, no-obligation case review online.