Eligibility Criteria
Who can file
Personal Injury Claim:
The Claimant, an authorized Attorney or an authorized Agent. Proof of valid authorization, such as Power of Attorney, will be required at claim submission.
Injury Resulting in Death Claim:
An authorized Attorney or an authorized Agent for a deceased Claimant. Administrator of an estate is commonly an authorized Agent in this context (except in the state of North Carolina, where an estate cannot be an Agent).
Are you eligible for a Camp Lejeune claim settlement?
General eligibility
Streamlined process: Elective Option
There is an expedited review process for eligible Camp Lejeune claims called the Elective Option.
The main distinguishing feature of the Elective Option is that a specific type of alleged harm is presumed to have been caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, without the need for further proof of causation.
If eligible, settlement award under the Elective Option ranges from $100,000 to $550,000.
The amount of settlement is defined by a clear set of criteria described in this public guidance published by the Department of Justice (Sep 15, 2023).
How to qualify for Elective Option
Reference: DOJ public guidance on elective option (Sep 15, 2023)
Personal Injury Claim:
The Claimant, an authorized Attorney or an authorized Agent. Proof of valid authorization, such as Power of Attorney, will be required at claim submission.
Injury Resulting in Death Claim:
An authorized Attorney or an authorized Agent for a deceased Claimant. Administrator of an estate is commonly an authorized Agent in this context (except in the state of North Carolina, where an estate cannot be an Agent).
Are you eligible for a Camp Lejeune claim settlement?
General eligibility
- You are an individual or legal representative;
- You resided, worked, or were otherwise exposed to water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina;
- Such exposure was for at least 30 days;
- Such exposure occurred between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987, dates inclusive; and
- Your claim is filed before August 10, 2024.
Streamlined process: Elective Option
There is an expedited review process for eligible Camp Lejeune claims called the Elective Option.
The main distinguishing feature of the Elective Option is that a specific type of alleged harm is presumed to have been caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, without the need for further proof of causation.
If eligible, settlement award under the Elective Option ranges from $100,000 to $550,000.
The amount of settlement is defined by a clear set of criteria described in this public guidance published by the Department of Justice (Sep 15, 2023).
How to qualify for Elective Option
- The Claimant meets the general eligibility criteria for a Camp Lejeune claim, outline above; and
- The Claimant has at least one of the nine diagnoses currently recognized to have a causal link to contaminated water. Such diagnoses are called presumptive injuries.
- The Claimant’s presumptive injury was documented in medical records:
- Before August 10, 2022 (when Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 became law); and
- At least two years after the Claimant’s first exposure; and
- No greater than thirty-five years after Claimant’s last exposure.
Together, the criteria relating to first and last exposure define the latency requirement.
It should be noted that the latency requirement is often not mentioned in general public discussions and the media. Latency is emphasized here for the Claimants who may be considering the Elective Option. Latency is NOT a requirement for a Camp Lejeune claim that is not settled under the Elective Option.
Basic facts about the Elective Option
ALL submitted claims, including those already submitted before this Claims Management Portal became available, will be screened by the Department of the Navy for potential eligibility under the Elective Option. That is, there is no need to separately apply or refile claims to be considered under this streamlined process.
Nine diagnoses are considered presumptive injuries:
It should be noted that the latency requirement is often not mentioned in general public discussions and the media. Latency is emphasized here for the Claimants who may be considering the Elective Option. Latency is NOT a requirement for a Camp Lejeune claim that is not settled under the Elective Option.
Basic facts about the Elective Option
ALL submitted claims, including those already submitted before this Claims Management Portal became available, will be screened by the Department of the Navy for potential eligibility under the Elective Option. That is, there is no need to separately apply or refile claims to be considered under this streamlined process.
Nine diagnoses are considered presumptive injuries:
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 |
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Required Documentation
ALL Claims: Supporting documents to substantiate claim
This section applies to ALL administrative claims filed with the Department of the Navy, regardless of the Elective Option.
A. WHAT to provide to support your claim
The burden of proof is on the Claimant to show exposure to the water at Camp Lejeune caused the alleged harm.
The Claimant is responsible for producing medical records to show the alleged harm. The Claimant is also responsible for producing, where applicable, military records to show they had worked or resided at Camp Lejeune. Similarly, where applicable, the Claimant is responsible for producing employment records to show they were a civilian working for an employer company while at Camp Lejeune. These are just common examples of potentially sufficient evidence.
To alleviate the burden of collecting government records, the Department of the Navy will first attempt to obtain supporting documents from other government agencies:
This section applies to ALL administrative claims filed with the Department of the Navy, regardless of the Elective Option.
A. WHAT to provide to support your claim
The burden of proof is on the Claimant to show exposure to the water at Camp Lejeune caused the alleged harm.
The Claimant is responsible for producing medical records to show the alleged harm. The Claimant is also responsible for producing, where applicable, military records to show they had worked or resided at Camp Lejeune. Similarly, where applicable, the Claimant is responsible for producing employment records to show they were a civilian working for an employer company while at Camp Lejeune. These are just common examples of potentially sufficient evidence.
To alleviate the burden of collecting government records, the Department of the Navy will first attempt to obtain supporting documents from other government agencies:
- Military records from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and/or the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) as applicable;
- Medical records from Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals and/or the Defense Health Agency (DHA) as applicable; and
- Federal employment records from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and/or the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) as applicable.
To expedite review of your claim, you are encouraged to submit any of these records that you already have in your possession.
In most cases, the Claimant must still supply supporting documents to substantiate their claim. While not required at the time of initial filing, they will be required in order to evaluate your claim for a settlement offer. When possible, the Department of the Navy will independently obtain government documents. However, most supporting documents for a Civilian, Civilian Military Dependent, Employee in Civil Service, Contractor for private company, or allegedly exposed unborn fetus (in utero exposure) will need to be supplied by the Claimant.
B. HOW to provide supporting documents
Initiated by the Department of the Navy
During claims processing, the Department of the Navy requests supporting documents from the Claimant via secure message sent through this portal. So it is very important that you keep the contact information in your portal profile CURRENT. In normal course, the Department of the Navy does not send out paper correspondence. Communications and status updates on your claim are sent electronically through this portal, via e-mail, or by phone calls if necessary.
Initiated by the Claimant
To expedite your claim, the Claimant has the option to upload supporting documents that you deem necessary to evaluate your claim. In particular, the Claimant can choose to upload medical records to show the alleged harm, proof of residence at Camp Lejeune, proof of military service at Camp Lejeune, or overall a presence at Camp Lejeune over a period of no fewer than 30 days.
If you are a Veteran, common examples of relevant military records to show presence at Camp Lejeune may include: DD Form 214, official personnel records, transfer orders, awards, military provisions records, among others.
In most cases, the Claimant must still supply supporting documents to substantiate their claim. While not required at the time of initial filing, they will be required in order to evaluate your claim for a settlement offer. When possible, the Department of the Navy will independently obtain government documents. However, most supporting documents for a Civilian, Civilian Military Dependent, Employee in Civil Service, Contractor for private company, or allegedly exposed unborn fetus (in utero exposure) will need to be supplied by the Claimant.
B. HOW to provide supporting documents
Initiated by the Department of the Navy
During claims processing, the Department of the Navy requests supporting documents from the Claimant via secure message sent through this portal. So it is very important that you keep the contact information in your portal profile CURRENT. In normal course, the Department of the Navy does not send out paper correspondence. Communications and status updates on your claim are sent electronically through this portal, via e-mail, or by phone calls if necessary.
Initiated by the Claimant
To expedite your claim, the Claimant has the option to upload supporting documents that you deem necessary to evaluate your claim. In particular, the Claimant can choose to upload medical records to show the alleged harm, proof of residence at Camp Lejeune, proof of military service at Camp Lejeune, or overall a presence at Camp Lejeune over a period of no fewer than 30 days.
If you are a Veteran, common examples of relevant military records to show presence at Camp Lejeune may include: DD Form 214, official personnel records, transfer orders, awards, military provisions records, among others.
Settlement Details
Settlement Grid based on length of exposure:*
In the case of an injury resulting in death claim from a qualifying injury, an additional settlement offer of $100,000 would be made to reflect the severity of injury.
* Reference: DOJ public guidance on elective option (Sep 15, 2023)
| 30-364 days | 1-5 years | More than 5 years | |
| Tier 1 Qualifying Injury | $150,000 | $300,000 | $450,000 |
| Tier 2 Qualifying Injury | $100,000 | $250,000 | $400,000 |
In the case of an injury resulting in death claim from a qualifying injury, an additional settlement offer of $100,000 would be made to reflect the severity of injury.
* Reference: DOJ public guidance on elective option (Sep 15, 2023)
Getting Started
If you have already filed a Camp Lejeune claim before
If you have already filed a Camp Lejeune claim before this Claims Management Portal became available (that is, you had previously filed via paper form, e-mail or through your Attorney), then it is not necessary to re-submit your claim in this portal.
What you need to do: Once your claim is ready for validation, you will receive an auto-generated e-mail from this portal. The e-mail bears the subject line "INVITATION: Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claims Management Portal”. It contains instructions on how to activate your online account - a necessary step to move your claim forward.
Click the link in your invitation email to navigate to the portal sign-in page. Using the same email address to which your invitation was sent, create a password. Use this same email address and password to log into the Claims Management Portal moving forward.
If you have already filed a Camp Lejeune claim before this Claims Management Portal became available (that is, you had previously filed via paper form, e-mail or through your Attorney), then it is not necessary to re-submit your claim in this portal.
What you need to do: Once your claim is ready for validation, you will receive an auto-generated e-mail from this portal. The e-mail bears the subject line "INVITATION: Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claims Management Portal”. It contains instructions on how to activate your online account - a necessary step to move your claim forward.
Click the link in your invitation email to navigate to the portal sign-in page. Using the same email address to which your invitation was sent, create a password. Use this same email address and password to log into the Claims Management Portal moving forward.
IMPORTANT: You will need to complete your profile in this Claims Management Portal to access your existing claim, file a new claim, track status, and receive communications about your claim.
The Department of the Navy does not mail out letters about your claim in the normal course of claims processing. Communication with Claimants, Attorneys, and Agents will occur electronically via this Claims Management Portal. The Department of the Navy will also send progress updates and requests for additional information to the email address you use to log into the portal.
If you have not filed a Camp Lejeune claim before
You must create an account before filing a claim. Please make sure you choose an email address that you check often to create this new account.
Once your account has been created, enter or update your contact information in My Profile. Going forward, the Department of the Navy will communicate with you about your claim primarily via the portal, e-mails or phone calls as needed. Periodic status notifications are sent to you via e-mail. Please ensure your contact information in the Profile remains CURRENT.
After completing your profile, you are ready to file. Click "File Claim" at the bottom of this page.
For those who previously filed claims before the online portal was available, visit the "My Claims & Settlements" page to re-validate your previously filed claim. Click on your claim, then in the Actions menu, choose "Edit Claim" to review, update, and substantiate your claim.
Summary on claims resolution
To reach a settlement award under the Elective Option, the Claimant’s administrative claim must be properly presented to the Department of the Navy, meet the general requirements of a Camp Lejeune claim, and at least one presumptive injury must have an onset before August 10, 2022 and meet the latency requirement.
To reach a settlement award under the Elective Option, the Claimant’s administrative claim must be properly presented to the Department of the Navy, meet the general requirements of a Camp Lejeune claim, and at least one presumptive injury must have an onset before August 10, 2022 and meet the latency requirement.
For all other administrative claims – outside of the Elective Option – that are properly presented to the Navy under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, causation will be evaluated under the standard procedure. Claims that do not qualify for Elective Option remain in this category.
The latest date that an administrative claim can be filed with the Department of the Navy is August 10, 2024, two years after the enactment of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
If an administrative claim has been finally denied by the Department of the Navy, a civil action may be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina no later than six months after the denial was issued. Also, an administrative claim may proceed to federal district court if no decision has been made on the administrative claim by the Department of the Navy, and at least 180 days have lapsed since its initial filing.
Reference: 28 USC 2675; 38 USC 804; DOJ public guidance on elective option (Sep 15, 2023).