Lawsuit filed against U.S. government after Camp Lejeune Justice Act passes

(WITN) - One of the first lawsuits WITN has been able to confirm has been filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina against the United States of America after the Camp Lejeune Justice Act was signed into law by President Biden Wednesday.

Lawyers from Raleigh and New York brought the case on behalf of plaintiff Timothy Pugh, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in what is likely one of the first of many lawsuits.

It states that Pugh was a servicemember at Camp Lejeune from 1984-1986 “where he resided, worked, and was otherwise exposed to water that was supplied by, or on behalf of, the defendant, for not less than thirty days.” The defendant is the United States of America.

The lawsuit states that Pugh was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer, in 2012.

Prior to the Pact Act becoming law, Pugh sought relief from the Navy and his claim was denied.

The lawyers have asked for a jury trial and are seeking damages on behalf of Pugh for physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, anxiety, depression and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and inconvenience, medical and hospital expenses, loss of earnings, and “injuries and damages on such other particulars as the evidence may show.”

Furthermore, the lawyers say the U.S. government was advised and warned by experts as early as 1958 that the base’s water systems were susceptible to contamination, but did not establish an inspection and repair protocol until 1987. Even with the knowledge of the dangers of the contaminants, the lawsuit says the defendant did not share the information with the authorities charged with monitoring the water.

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