The significance of the CJLA is twofold. First, this is a monumental win for those seeking restitution for disabilities and diseases caused by wrongful exposure at Camp Lejeune and beyond. It is particularly helpful for those suffering latent diseases – or diseases that onset at a later date.

Veterans, active soldiers, and other people who lived at Camp Lejeune learned the connection between their illnesses and drinking contaminated water in 1999 when the investigations into the matter became public.