In the military, there are plenty of times when you could be injured in the line of duty. When you're injured on the job, you usually have the right to compensation and are able to provide information that could help reduce the chance of injuries in the future. Sometimes, there are factors that aren't considered, and that can lead to injuries of the lungs and eyes, poisoning or other serious problems like in this case.
According to the news from May 8, the government contractor called KBR has requested that the U.S. Supreme Court hears a collection of class-action and individual lawsuits pertaining to arguments that the company acted negligently alongside the former parent company Halliburton.
According to the news, KBR is based in Houston, Texas, and it is requesting that the cases be heard because the issues directly address constitutional law and combatant activities. The lawsuits also allegedly include questions of contract support. The report states that in 2013, a U.S. District Court in Maryland dismissed the lawsuits claiming that KBR had the same protections as the U.S. government from litigation that comes from injuries suffered in war zones.
In Virginia, a judge disagreed. That judge claimed that KBR didn't sufficiently show that it was working under the direct orders of the United States military during burn-pit operations or water treatment activities. Those activities allegedly led to respiratory illnesses, cancer diagnoses and neurological disorders for soldiers who were near the open-air burn pits.
According to the article, the victims allegedly claim that the KBR violated military orders in performing water treatment services, too, and this led to troops getting sick. Now, the Supreme Court will have time to determine if the cases will be heard. You may hear about its decision as early as June or October 2014.
