Military contractors sued over Iraq 'burn pits'

AP Reports - Military contractors sued over Iraq 'burn pits'

 
BRETT BARROUQUERE of the Associated Press wrote an article about an Air Force veteran and a one-time contractor who served in Iraq.  The two are suing military contractors Halliburton Co. and KBR Inc., accusing the companies of exposing them and others to toxic fumes by burning everything from human remains to tires in massive open-air pits.

The law suit names Houston-based companies KBR and Halliburton, as well as the Turkish company ERKA Ltd. The lawsuit is the latest on behalf of former military members and contract workers who claim they were exposed to toxins from burning waste in the warzone. At least 32 suits over burn pits have been filed in 32 states.

The article quoted Capt. Jeffrey Cox, of the Massachusetts National Guard who stated "In many ways, I consider the burn pits like the Agent Orange of the Iraq War."

The article concluded by stating that earlier this year, several members of Congress asked Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to investigate potential burn pit hazards. Shinseki said his agency is conducting a health study of 30,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and noted the VA "has learned important lessons from previous military conflicts" as it deals with environmental exposure questions.

Associated Press writer Bob Salsberg in Boston contributed to the AP report.

Injured war zone contractors fight to get care

The L.A. Times ran an article titled "Injured war zone contractors fight to get care" http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-contractors17-2009apr17,0,5505250.story


The article discussed the fact that contractors are crucial to the U.S. military efforts in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  However, when these same civilian workers are wounded on the job, they must then do battle with an insurance system marked by long delays and high costs.  The article noted that more than 1,400 civilian workers have died and 31,000 have been wounded or injured in the two war zones.

The article further states that Insurance companies initially rejected 44% of claims from contractors involving serious injuries and more than half of all claims related to psychological stress.  As a result, civilians maimed or traumatized in the war zone often must wage lengthy court battles for medical care and benefits.

The L.A. Times stated the high denial rate is partly due to government rules that give insurers only 14 days to decide the validity of a claim.  Thus, Insurers often reject first and investigate later.

Those case-by-case investigations are usually resolved through mediation. When the two sides can't agree -- as has happened in more than 1,000 cases -- the dispute winds up in court. Workers win such appeals in 75% of cases, records show, but the process can last months or years.

These are the very reasons you need to hire an Attorney to handle your claim properly.

Contractor Electrocuted in Shower in Iraq

CBS News reported that a 25-Year-old Contractor recently died from shoddy electrical wiring in a shower, which the article states is a widespread problem in Iraq.  The article can be found at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/08/world/main5295738.shtml.

The article stated that electrical wiring has been an ongoing problem in Iraq.  There have been at least three troops who have been electrocuted in the shower since the start of the Iraq War, while still others have been electrocuted under other circumstances such as while operating a power washer.  In an effort to prevent said injuries, inspections and repairs are under way at 90,000 U.S.-maintained structures there.

Hermanson background included that he grew up in San Diego and Las Vegas. He joined the military at age 17, and did three tours in Iraq with the Air Force before leaving at the rank of staff sergeant. He returned to Iraq as an employee of the Herndon, Va.-based private contractor Triple Canopy the article reported.

As is often the case, Mr. Hermanson took the contracting job so that his family would have money to buy a house in Muncy, Pa., where they were planning to live. His family is struggling to understand how he could survive four war tours, then die suddenly in a seemingly safe place.

In July, the Defense Department's inspector general said that of the 18 electrocution deaths of U.S. soldiers and contractors in Iraq, eight involved possible equipment faults or malfunctioning that caused or contributed to the electrocutions. The accidental touching of live wires was blamed in about half the deaths.