Senator Tuberville’s Protect Camp Lejeune Victims Ensnared by Trial-lawyers’ Scams (VETS) Act caps attorney fees, keeps more money in the hands of victims
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) in reintroducing the Protect Camp Lejeune Victims Ensnared by Trial-lawyers’ Scams (VETS) Act to cap the fees trial lawyers can charge in cases representing Marines and other individuals impacted by water contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Attorney contingency fees in some cases are reportedly as high as 60 percent, leaving little compensation for the victims.
“Veterans should be viewed as heroes, but sadly, predatory lawyers see them as a way to line their pockets,” said Senator Tuberville. “America’s veterans have sacrificed too much for us to sit back and allow them to be taken advantage of by bad actors of any kind. As issues within the PACT Act continue to surface, we will fight to correct them and ensure our veterans don’t suffer because of vaguely-written legislation.”
BACKGROUND:
Passage of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act within the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins (PACT) Act allowed for Camp Lejeune victims to seek compensation, but the hastily-written legislation did not set fee caps for attorneys in these cases, allowing bad actors to exploit sick veterans. The U.S. Department of Justice warned of the implications should these parameters not be in place, but these warnings were ignored.
Last November, Senator Tuberville joined nine of his U.S. Senate colleagues in calling the Protect Camp Lejeune Victims Ensnared by Trial-lawyers’ Scams (VETS) Act for a vote on the Senate floor, but Senate Democrats blocked the effort. As a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Senator Tuberville has made key strides in improving care for veterans and their dependents and stopping attempts to take advantage of their misfortune. In addition to two pieces of veterans’ legislation recently signed into law, he is continuing efforts to reissue benefits to defrauded veterans.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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