Many people have expressed a desire to resolve their Camp LeJeune claims independently, without involving legal counsel.
Unfortunately, the many claims currently under review by the Navy seem to be delaying the resolution process for those who chose this option. As a result, many veterans are rethinking their decision to hire an attorney for claim assistance.
Helping California veterans who filed without an attorney.
The Department of the Navy recently announced it received over 540,000 claims before the Camp Lejeune Justice Act filing deadline on August 10, 2024.
This volume of claims impacts the processing speed for all claims as the Navy works through and confirms each claim and attempts to identify and eliminate duplicate claims. It believes there could be upwards of 20% of all claims filed that are duplicate claims.
All needed documentation must be uploaded to the appropriate files in the Navy claims portal. This documentation needs to be reviewed to answer any requests or questions from the Navy for further documentation and ensure any outstanding questions are answered and resolved.
It is essential to ensure that you promptly submit individual claim documentation since a claim will only be considered once all documentation has been completed.
The “bellwether” (or sampling) trial process of selected cases, initially scheduled to begin this Fall in the Eastern District of North Carolina, is now projected to start in the late Spring of 2025. One of the judges in the Eastern District of North Carolina will try these bellwether cases without juries.
The results of these bellwether trials will better inform all sides of the litigated value of various tiers of claims; however, it is premature to determine if the Navy will wait until those trials have been completed before taking significant affirmative action and making offers to resolve claims.
If the Navy does not act on a claim within six months of receiving it, the claim is considered denied. This means that starting in February 2025, the time frame to begin filing lawsuits under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act will have started for all claimants.
If you have filed a claim without the assistance of an attorney, we will be happy to review individually filed claims and assist those who need help with the next step, which is submitting all needed documentation and filing a lawsuit in the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Navy’s early settlement process stalls.
Those who file a lawsuit cannot take advantage of the elective option. However, there has been no significant change in the number of wholly resolved claims, which is still less than 100. The average payout for claims under this option remains unchanged, at approximately $250,000 per claim.
If you do not have an attorney, we can offer a free review of your Camp Lejeune claim. Fill out the form below to get started.