If you or a loved one were diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, you may be entitled to recover compensation from a Camp Lejeune ALS lawsuit case or settlement claim.
A team of personal injury lawyers and class action attorneys is investigating potential Camp Lejeune lawsuit cases and settlement claims of individuals who were diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS after being exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a progressive neurological disease or syndrome that primarily affects the nerve cells in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal cord (lower motor neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, ALS affects about 30,000 people in the U.S., with about 5,000 new ALS cases diagnosed each year. Unfortunately, individuals exposed to Camp Lejeune’s toxic water may be at an increased risk of developing Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Camp Lejeune Lou Gehrig’s Disease ALS Lawsuit
Camp Lejeune Lou Gehrig’s disease lawsuit and settlement cases potentially being investigated include claims of marines, their family and other individuals who were diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS after being exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, including:
- ALS
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Classical ALS
- Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS)
- Progressive Bulbar Palsy (PBP)
- Bulbar onset ALS
- Progressive Muscular Atrophy (PMA)
- Limb onset ALS
- Other Camp Lejeune injury claims
ALS Lou Gehrig Injury Cases & Camp Lejeune
ALS has been potentially linked to toxic chemicals found in the water at Camp Lejeune. For instance, in 2014 a mortality study was published in the Journal of Environmental Health that compared deaths amongst marines and navy personnel exposed to contaminated drinking water at USMC base Camp Lejeune with those at Camp Pendleton (who were not exposed to toxic water) and found that marines and navy personnel at Camp Lejeune had elevated rates of death due to ALS compared to those at Camp Pendleton.
Lou Gehrig’s Disease ALS Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease can include:
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle stiffness
- Muscles cramps
- Twitching
- Loss of motor control
- Slurred speech
- Nasal speech
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing (dysphagia)
- Difficulty speaking or forming words (dysarthria)
- Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
- Difficulty moving
- Dropping things
- Tripping
- Falling
- Clumsiness
- Inappropriate crying or laughing
- Cognitive or behavioral changes
- Loss of ability to move
- Paralysis
- Rapid weight loss
- Other ALS symptoms
Procedures and tests used by doctors (such as neurologists) to diagnose ALS can include a physical examination, medical history, electromyography (or EMG) to detect electrical activity of muscle fibers, nerve conduction study (or NCS) to measure electrical activity of nerves and muscles, blood and urine tests, muscle biopsy, spinal tap and imaging scans (such as an MRI or X-rays), among others.
ALS Complications
Lou Gehrig’s disease complications can include breathing problems (including respiratory failure), speaking problems, eating problems, moving problems, memory problems, frontotemporal dementia and/or death, among others. It has been estimated that about half of patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease live at least 3 or more years after diagnosis, while about 1 in 5 live five years or more and up to 10 percent will survive more than 10 years after being diagnosed with ALS.
ALS Lou Gehrig’s Disease Treatment
Although there is no cure for Lou Gehrig’s disease and no effective treatment to halt or reverse the progression of ALS, there are treatments that can be provided to control symptoms of ALS and prevent certain ALS complications, including medication that can reduce damage to motor neurons, medication that can slow the decline in daily functioning, medication that can help with pain, depression, sleep issues and constipation and medication that can help manage muscle cramping, muscle stiffness, too much saliva or phlegm, involuntary emotional displays or other symptoms.
Other ALS treatments can include physical therapy or occupational therapy, nutritional support, speech therapy, use of communication devices such as computer-based speech synthesizers and brain-computer interface (BCI), and breathing support (such as mechanical ventilation or respirators or tracheostomy), among others.
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease after being exposed to water at Camp Lejeune, you may be entitled to compensation from a Camp Lejeune ALS lawsuit or settlement. Contact an injury lawyer to request a free case review.
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