Being in the military is a dangerous job, but one of the greatest risks can be unseen—service members are sometimes exposed to highly toxic chemicals during their time in the military.
Cases of toxic exposure date back for decades. Soldiers who served during the Vietnam War were sometimes covered in the deadly defoliant Agent Orange. More recently, those who served in the Gulf War campaign may have come into contact with other chemical agents. Even at home, Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune, here in North Carolina, have long complained of cancer-causing substances tainting the base’s drinking water.
Exposure to these chemicals has been linked not only to health problems in soldiers, but to their descendants as well. That’s why one lawmaker, Rep. Dan Benishek, is sponsoring a bill that would fund research into the effects of toxic exposure in soldiers.
An article from The Detroit News explains that the Toxic Exposure Research Act would allow for research into treatments for the conditions found in children and grandchildren of soldiers exposed to toxic chemicals during their service. The bill would also allow for the declassification of documents regarding certain cases of exposure.
It’s important that we learn more about these conditions and treatments, and the North Carolina personal injury lawyers at HensonFuerst are hopeful this measure can help us achieve that goal if it gets passed into law.
