An upcoming rule change from the Department of Veterans Affairs is a major step in the right direction for thousands of our veterans. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina was found to have had a water contamination between 1953 and 1987. This has led to many veterans suffering from debilitating diseases.
The new rule change will presume that if a veteran served a minimum of 30 days at Camp Lejeune between those years, and has one or more of the eight diseases set forth, that there is a service connection between them.
The eight diseases that they have set forth are:
- Leukemia
- Anemia
- Multiple Myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Parkinson’s Disease
- some bladder disorders
- kidney cancer
- liver cancer
Just because the VA is changing their rule on this, does not guarantee that you will receive the proper disability rating. This is long overdue, and the veterans who have already been fighting this type of case are not going to be magically approved. As anyone who has gone through the disability process with the VA will tell you, nothing is guaranteed, and nothing happens overnight. Even with all of the proper documentation, these cases can still be a massive undertaking.
If you have any questions about the Camp Lejeune rule, or anything else regarding veteran’s benefits, please contact our office today at 888-679-5180. Our experienced Veterans Disability attorneys will gladly assist you.