U.S. Marine’s Widow Loses Appeal of Camp Lejeune Death Suit

A widow who alleges her husband died of leukemia caused by exposure to contaminated water and environmental toxins while stationed at Camp Lejeune is barred by the Federal Torts Claims Act from suing the government, the Fourth Circuit affirmed.

The Feres doctrine, which disallows suits involving claims “incident to military service,” blocks Carol Clendening’s claims premised on her husband’s initial exposure to benzene and other toxins, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit said.

Clendening’s claims that the government failed to warn her husband about health risks after his discharge, especially as it learned more about contamination at ...