New Legislation To Change the Dynamics of Camp Lejeune Trials

The Capitol Hill publication Roll Call has released updates about lawmakers’ strategies to expedite lawsuits filed against the Government after Marines and their families were harmed by toxic water at Camp Lejeune. Ed Bell, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said he is hopeful some trials will begin by the end of the year.

According to the article, Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., has introduced a bill—with 11 co-sponsors as of last Thursday—that broadens the terms of a 2022 law and allows plaintiffs to request jury trials. Murphy’s bill would allow victims to file lawsuits in any of the five states within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit—Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina—rather than just in North Carolina’s federal courts as specified in the 2022 law.

Both Bell and Flynn argued that the government is purposely slowing the process with numerous motions and challenges to plaintiffs’ claims.

“It seems to me this is a game to them,” Bell said. “They’re trying to find every way they can to interrupt the process and not pay the people. And we have an average of 1.5 to 2 people dying every day in our group. We literally hear about a dozen or so deaths every week.”

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