Jun. 4, 2013 - Attorneys representing former troops and family members who say they were sickened by exposure to open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan are appealing a judge’s dismissal of their cases.Alexandria, Va., lawyer Susan Burke and attorneys from the South Carolina firm Motley & Rice filed an appeal Wednesday arguing that Maryland U.S. District Court Judge Roger Titus’s decision in February to toss out 57 consolidated lawsuits filed against KBR, Inc., was “non-justifiable.”
Titus ruled Feb. 28 that as a government contractor working in a war zone, KBR was entitled to the same legal protection and immunity as U.S. armed forces operating in combat. He also argued that the court did not have jurisdiction to rule on decisions made by another branch of government.
But in their appeal filed in the Fourth Circuit, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said KBR often did not follow military directives while operating burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, effectively negating any “sovereign immunity” the company may have had. read more>>>
Are you an OEF/OIF/OND or 1990–1991 Gulf War Veteran? VA is working on a new Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry that will include a web-based questionnaire for you to report health concerns, exposures, and more. You may submit comments through August 5, 2013. Go to the Federal Register notice to learn more about the registry and how to comment.
To learn more about airborne hazards and what VA is doing to respond to Veterans' concerns, visit VA Publichealth Air Pollutants Exposures.
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