How Much Do Camp Lejeune Lawyers Charge?

If you or someone you love was a victim of water contamination at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, you’ve probably been thinking about reaching out to a lawyer. Working with an expert legal advocate will make the process of receiving fair compensation for your suffering easier. That said, you may be concerned about how much money Camp Lejeune lawyers can collect for working on a case. You may even worry you cannot afford a lawyer’s services.

Related: Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Linked to Cancer, Other Life-Threatening Issues

How Federal Law Caps Legal Fees on Camp Lejeune Cases

If this has been on your mind, let us ease your concerns. A Camp Lejeune lawyer will not collect any legal fees until and unless you receive your settlement. Therefore, you do not need to pay a lawyer a fee upfront to receive legal help.

Second, federal law sets a specific cap on how much of your settlement your lawyer can collect.

IMPORTANT: Camp Lejeune lawyers cannot charge more than 25% of your final award.

This amount – one fourth of the total payment – may sound low to you. Friends may insist the only ones who will ultimately get paid when you receive a settlement are the lawyers. But this simply isn’t the case. It is true that in mass tort cases against private companies (but not governments), attorneys can charge up to 33%. If you are a plaintiff in another mass tort case, there are a few things to know about attorneys’ fees. All plaintiffs generally pay the attorney’s contingency fee only after they win a settlement. This fee may cover things like paperwork and litigation costs.

However, since Camp Lejeune contaminated water claims are against the federal government, you’ll actually pay less for attorney representation than you otherwise would. Litigation costs in these cases tend to be minimal. However, be sure to ask any attorney you speak with if you’ll have to pay these costs at any point in the process.

Ask any lawyer you are thinking of working with the following questions:

1. Who pays the filing fee?
2. Who pays for things like document collection and copies?
3. When do you expect my case to be resolved?
4. Have you worked on Camp Lejeune cases before? What was the result?
5. Are you aware of the law capping fees at 25%?

Related: Civilians and Children Can Get Huge Camp Lejeune Payouts

What Does the Law Say about Camp Lejeune Lawyers’ Fees?

Section 28 of the Federal Claims Tort Act caps all Camp Lejeune lawsuit legal fees at 25% of your settlement amount. Here is the actual wording of this law:

No attorney shall charge, demand, receive, or collect for services rendered, fees in excess of 25 per centum of any judgment rendered pursuant to section 1346(b) of this title or any settlement made pursuant to section 2677 of this title, or in excess of 20 per centum of any award, compromise, or settlement made pursuant to section 2672 of this title.

Any attorney who charges, demands, receives, or collects for services rendered in connection with such claim any amount in excess of that allowed under this section, if recovery be had, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Related: Why Camp Lejeune Victims Need an Attorney for Compensation

You May Qualify for Compensation

If you or a loved one spent 30 days or longer at Camp Lejeune before December 31, 1987, you may qualify for financial compensation. You may still be eligible for a cash settlement from the federal government even if you were never in the military as an active duty service member.

Thanks to the recent passage of the PACT Act in Congress providing additional funding, you have just two years to file. Complete this form now to see if you may qualify for a cash settlement for your life-threatening contaminated water injuries.