Civil Action No.: United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
The Honoring Our Pact Act, S. 3373, Signed by President Joe Biden, August 10, 2022.
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y., Aug. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Lance Corporal Timothy Pugh, Ret., a Marine veteran who suffered multiple myeloma, and other injuries, as a result of exposure to the toxic water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, filed a lawsuit today against the United States under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, which is part of the Honor Our PACT Act signed this morning by President Biden. Mr. Pugh, who served and resided at Camp Lejeune from 1984 to 1986, is seeking damages for his injuries in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (7:22-cv-00124 BO) where Camp Lejeune is located and where the Camp Lejeune Justice Act requires all such lawsuits be brought.
Parker Waichman LLP, filed a complaint on behalf of the Marine veteran, who was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood, in 2012. The Complaint alleges, among other things, that starting in the 1950s, dangerous chemicals from waste dumps, unlined landfills and leaking storage tanks repeatedly seeped into the soil and underground water aquifers. The Complaint further alleges that the Marine Corps were aware, as early as 1958, that Camp Lejeune’s water systems were susceptible to contamination by various volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Complaint further claims that the government knew in 1974 that these VOCs were highly toxic. Despite this knowledge, the government and Marine Corps repeatedly ignored water system safety guidelines issued by multiple federal and state agencies.
Mr. Pugh alleges that his devastating disease was caused by the negligence, carelessness and recklessness of the Marine Corps. Damages are being sought for Timothy Pugh’s personal injuries, together with his pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, loss of income and medical expenses as well as other damages.
Parker Waichman has been fighting for justice for the victims of Camp Lejeune for a long time. After an initial lawsuit on behalf of an injured civilian teacher at Camp Lejeune was rejected by court after court on a variety of legal grounds involving time limitations and the Feres doctrine, Parker Waichman, angered but not deterred, turned to legislation to change those laws. Working with several Congressmen, we saw multiple bills gain some support, but fail to find enough votes. This year, however, a broader veterans relief package gained momentum, with headlines around burn pits. House leadership inserted the very specific Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 into the broader Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 which removes the barriers to earlier lawsuits that had been unsuccessful and paves the way for the filing of the Pugh action today.
“Timothy Pugh served his country honorably as a Marine. It was known that the water he was drinking was contaminated, but they did nothing. They ignored standard safety protocols and engineering reports for decades,” said Jerrold S. Parker. “We decided in 2009 to fight for these Marines and their families, no matter what it required. We took our first suit all the way to the Supreme Court. When the courts declined to help these Camp Lejeune victims, we went to Congress and worked hard to get legislation passed. We are honored, finally, to have the opportunity under the PACT Act to push Timothy Pugh’s case, and those of other victims, forward.”
Filing a Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit
Parker Waichman has successfully represented clients in injury lawsuits for decades and Camp Lejeune victims since 2009. If you, or someone you know, lived or worked at Camp Lejeune for 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 and believe they have a related illness, please call 1-800-YOUR LAWYER or visit the firm’s website at https://www.yourlawyer.com for a free consultation.
Media Contact: Melanie Muhlstock, 516 466 6500
SOURCE Parker Waichman LLP
