Previously known as Oscoda Army Air Field, Camp Skeel and Oscoda Air Force Base, the military base was in use between 1923 and 1993. Wurtsmith Air Force Base is located in Iosco County, Michigan. After 1970, the drinking water on the base became contaminated with PFAS, a group of dangerous chemicals that can be found in aqueous film-forming foam, commonly known as AFFF.
Because military firefighters would use this fire suppressant on a regular basis, contamination with PFAS was inevitable. Thereby, everyone who was stationed on Wurtsmith Air Force Base drank tainted water.
The Environmental Protection Agency found a level of nearly 80,000 parts per trillion of PFAS in the drinking water on Wurtsmith Air Force Base in 2018, which is well above the permissible limit of 70 parts per trillion. As “forever chemicals”, PFAS persist in the environment once they are released, endangering the health of the people who drink the water they infiltrated. Numerous veterans who were stationed on Wurtsmith Air Force Base came to suffer from terrible diseases over recent years, as exposure to PFAS causes health problems within 10 to 20 years from the first time you drank contaminated water. However, if you were stationed on the military base, either as a military member or a family member of one, for at least 1 cumulative year and developed a disease, you may be entitled to compensation for your physical and emotional distress.
In addition to PFAS, trichloroethylene was found by the Environmental Protection Agency in the groundwater of the military base in 1977. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, trichloroethylene is a known carcinogen. Therefore, exposure to it may lead to the development of cancer over the years. Some of the diseases and health issues exposure to trichloroethylene can cause are kidney cancer, lymphoma, cardiac defects, and liver cancer. Nevertheless, if you were exposed to trichloroethylene, you may experience immediate symptoms, such as:
Exposure to high levels of trichloroethylene can even lead to coma and, eventually, death. If you were exposed to it for a long period of time, your risk of developing a form of cancer increases considerably. For this reason, if you experience a new onset of symptoms, regardless of how much they affect your daily life, please seek medical attention immediately, as you may have developed a disease as a consequence of toxic exposure.
There are numerous diseases that have recently been associated with exposure to PFAS from drinking water. Nonetheless, a definitive causal relation must exist between these health problems and exposure to PFAS in order to become eligible for compensation. These are also the diseases that make you eligible for seeking financial compensation from Wurtsmith Air Force Base. The following are the diseases that may be caused by prolonged exposure to PFAS, as well as the diagnoses that qualify you for filing a claim:
Because the diseases that exposure to PFAS can lead to are often misdiagnosed, it is a good idea to seek a second and even third opinion from different medical specialists. Not only will a correct and accurate diagnosis help you receive appropriate treatment, but it may also qualify you for compensation.
With over three decades of experience in pursuing toxic exposure cases, we are ready to help you if you are a veteran or a family member of one who lived on Wurtsmith Air Force Base for at least 1 cumulative year and subsequently developed a disease. Our process will require minimal involvement on your part, it takes place over the phone and it is quick and easy. If you meet all the criteria a skilled PFAS lawyer will file a claim on your behalf.
10 Minutes Over the Phone
*No fees unless compensation is obtained