“The VA is committed to protecting veterans and their families from scammers who are trying to steal those hard-earned benefits,” Amerson said. “We have these two main goals with this partnership. The first is to develop — with the VA — and conduct training either in person or online. ... Second, we really want to encourage veterans and families to report cybercrime ... it's so important to report because that's what helps allocate resources.”

“We believe, as of January, some of the claims will start being adjudicated,” Schwartfigure said. “The VA’s hiring several hundred new employees in order to combat the increase in the claims. Already, they’re seeing a heavy increase.”

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.

Other types of compensation that you can seek include pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. Pain and suffering refer to the physical and emotional toll your injury has taken on your quality of life. Loss of enjoyment of life is a similar type of award often awarded to people who suffer permanent injuries that cause them to be confined to a wheelchair or bed.

Your Northern Arizona VA Health Care System is reminding and encouraging local Veterans who served during the Vietnam Era, the Gulf War, or in post-9/11 conflicts to inquire about additional benefits or care through the PACT Act, a historic new law that will help VA deliver care to millions of Veterans affected by burn pits and other toxic exposures.

“They were talking about ATSDR, the public health assessment, that they wanted to do more studies on the children that were exposed at Camp Lejeune in utero. And they primarily wanted to do studies on those kids for birth defects and childhood cancers, and they said primarily leukemia,” he said, “I had a plate of spaghetti in my hand and when they said that I dropped it on my living room floor.”

On Saturday, dozens of marine veterans and their families gathered at the American Legion in Wilmington to hear Partain and others speak about the toxins present in Camp Lejeune’s water for decades, causing a range of health conditions in those who consumed it, most notably leukemia and other types of cancer.

More so, the agency is urging more veterans to submit claims quickly. Joshua Jacobs, the VA’s senior adviser for policy and acting Veterans Benefits Administration undersecretary, said veterans should submit their claims before August so their benefits begin from the day the PACT Act became law and they will receive back pay.

“There seems to be a lot of confusion because the VA already service-connects veterans with illnesses related to the contaminated Camp LeJeune water,” said Michael A. Iwanicki, superintendent of the McHenry County Veterans Assistance Commission. “The PACT Act is actually for the civilian workers and families living and working on the base. This could present a problem for a veteran who may already be receiving benefits from the Veterans Benefits Administration. Should a veteran who is in receipt of VA Disability for illness from his service in Camp LeJeune and later receive an award from the legal action, the VA will recoup the monies awarded including the attorney’s fees.”

“I would really suggest to them to find an accredited service officer through the State of Michigan, whether it be the county, the veteran service organizations, DAV [Disabled American Veterans], the American Legion, the VFW [Veterans of Foreign Wars], talk to somebody about that,” he said.

He said the new Camp Lejeune Justice Act allows veterans to file a class action lawsuit against the federal government, but that may be impacted by any service-connected disability payments the veteran already received. He said it’s important for a veteran to look at all their options before making a decision.

The government has acknowledged chemicals in Camp Lejeune’s water from 1953 to 1987 are responsible for causing cancer, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses. A law signed by President Joe Biden this summer gaves those who have gotten sick the right to sue the government, unleashing the gold rush by personal injury lawyers.

On Oct. 27 and 28, victims of the largest, most lethal drinking water contamination in U.S. history will join Brockovich and other advocates with Camp Lejeune Legal in two Jacksonville town halls, according to a news release from the group.

Eligible victims have the same requirements as those seeking disability from the VA. Possible financial compensation includes lost wages, medical costs, pain and suffering, and wrongful death. Those already receiving Camp Lejeune disability benefits can still file a claim under the CLJA, but any awards from these claims will be offset by their current benefits provided by the VA, Medicare/Medicaid, or Social Security.

VA Undersecretary of Health Shereef Elnahal said Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022, that the VA will hold national events in November to rush new hires into their workforce and fill vacant jobs faster as the agency works to hire 50,000 workers yearly to keep up with the demands and trends affecting veterans’ health care. Elnahal took over the VA’s top health executive post in July after the job remained vacant for five years. (Department of Veterans Affairs)

The second report, released Friday, focuses on the reassessment of the registry. It assessed how the VA and the Defense Department collect and maintain the registry's data regarding a veteran's health effects due to toxic exposure and whether the registry has fulfilled or can carry out the purpose.

Back in the United States, the Department of the Navy announced in 2019 that it would not pay any claims to people who were exposed to toxins in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, between 1953 and 1987. That decision came after a federal court had ruled that the Navy was not responsible for damages because the chemicals found in the water were not regulated until 1989.

“One of our big focuses now is on the children and grandchildren,” said Michael Bousher, the chair of the Florida Veterans Council. “We’ve noticed some of our children and grandchildren are coming down with diseases that are not really related to family history and things like that.”

Sherrod Brown hosted the roundtable and discussed the "Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022", which will secure access to the Department of Veteran Affairs' healthcare and disability benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals. Some veterans who joined the roundtable were exposed to or affected by burn pits during their military service.

For PFOA, the advisory warns of concentrations greater than 0.004 parts per trillion. Samples from Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River showed PFOA contamination over 25,000 parts per trillion.