Can Camp Lejeune Water Cause Infertility?

 Posted on October 21, 2022 in Personal Injury

Your dreams of ever having children or growing your family have shattered after the toxic water at Camp Lejeune left you infertile. You have been dealing with irreversible reproductive health problems and indescribable emotional pain like so many other military service members and their families. We want you to know there is a way to get compensation for the serious health problems you suffered.

Toxic Water

Camp Lejeune has been linked to serious health conditions, including female infertility. While research continues, a CDC study found higher cases of infertility at the base than at any other comparable military base. Veterans were at a higher risk for infertility due to their exposure to volatile organic compounds including:

• Trichloroethylene (TCE) – a metal degreaser and cleaner

• Perchloroethylene (PCE) – a solvent used by dry cleaner 

Men also suffered from infertility but at a higher rate than women. Both of these chemicals are known to cause infertility as well as birth defects. These types of toxic substances along with other dangerous chemicals such as vinyl chloride and benzene were found in the Camp Lejeune drinking water.

Birth Defects

As a result of being exposed to toxic chemicals, you may have infertility or you may have had a miscarriage, and there is no greater loss than a child. This should have never happened to you or your loved ones. 

Pregnant women and their babies were also harmed when they went about their daily lives drinking water they believed to be safe. The study concluded that babies born to mothers who drank the toxic water while they were pregnant were four times more likely than women living off the base to have children with serious birth defects, including spina bifida. Those children also had a greater risk of developing childhood cancers such as leukemia and developmental delays.

Infertility Takes a Heavy Toll

You likely had to undergo hormone testing and have exams to check your ovarian reserve before a physician could render a diagnosis of infertility. Camp Lejeune has shattered your dreams of a normal pregnancy. You may have turned to fertility treatments with the hopes of restoring your desire to create life. The treatments can be emotionally draining, physically exhausting, time-consuming, and expensive. 

If you were exposed to the toxic water at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between 1953 and 1987, you are eligible to file a lawsuit.

Contact an Elmhurst Camp Lejeune Injury Lawyer

If you or a family member worked or served at the base, contact a Cook County Camp Lejeune injury attorney to recover compensation for infertility or any other serious health condition. Call 708-226-9000 for a free consultation. At Schwartz Injury Law we will try to establish a connection between your infertility and the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

Sources:

https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/camp-lejeune-water-contamination/

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/docs/health_survey_report-508.pdf 

https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm