KBR Exposed Soldiers and Contractors With Toxic Burn Pits, According to Burke O'Neil LLC
November 10 2009 - 3:05PM
PR Newswire (US)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Sixteen new lawsuits allege
that KBR, Inc. (NYSE:KBR) jeopardized the health and safety of tens
of thousands of American soldiers and private contractors in Iraq
and Afghanistan by burning vast quantities of unsorted waste in
enormous open-air burn pits with no safety controls. The lawsuits
were filed during the past week in federal courts throughout the
nation by Burke O'Neil LLC and co-counsel on behalf of military
veterans and private contractors. The suits allege that
round-the-clock hazardous emissions from the burn pits caused
illnesses such as multiple cancers, respiratory disease, pulmonary
complications, chronic coughing, debilitating headaches, and
neurological and skin disorders. KBR is accused of allowing thick,
noxious smoke, coming off of flames sometimes colored blue or green
by burning chemicals, to hang over U.S. bases and camps across Iraq
and Afghanistan since 2004. According to the complaints, the burn
pits are so large that tractors are used to push waste onto them
and the flames shoot hundreds of feet into the sky. KBR allegedly
burned waste such as biohazard materials including human corpses,
medical supplies, paints, solvents, asbestos, items containing
pesticides, animal carcasses, tires, lithium batteries, Styrofoam,
wood, rubber, medical waste, large amounts of plastics, and even
entire trucks. Susan L. Burke, Elizabeth M. Burke, and Susan M.
Sajadi, of Burke O'Neil LLC, in Washington, D.C., and co-counsel
represent the more than 200 veterans, KBR employee-contractors and
families in the cases which are pending in 37 states. Elizabeth M.
Burke, of Burke O'Neil LLC, stated, "KBR utterly disregarded the
safety of the troops when they chose to use open air burn pits and
failed to use incinerators and other safer methods of waste
disposal. The hazards of operating large open-air burn pits were
well known, and KBR promised to minimize the environmental effects
of the burn sites they operated in Iraq and Afghanistan. KBR
willfully endangered these men and women who honorably served their
country in military service or in support of the military." The
legal team for the plaintiffs intends to seek class certification
of the lawsuits to cover costs of medical monitoring, future
medical expenses, and other damages for other individuals exposed
to KBR burn pit emissions. The new cases were filed in federal
courts in Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana,
Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey,
New Mexico, North Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington.
Earlier this year, dozens of other current and former military
personnel, private contractors and families of men who allegedly
died as a result of exposure to toxic emissions from KBR burn pits
brought similar claims. The defendants include KBR, Inc., of
Houston; Kellogg, Brown & Root LLC, of Austin, Texas; Kellogg,
Brown & Root Services, Inc., of Houston; and Halliburton
Company, of Houston. Attorney Contact: Susan Burke, of Burke O'Neil
LLC, 202.445.1409. Media Contact: Erin Powers, Powers MediaWorks
LLC, for Burke O'Neil LLC, 281.703.6000. DATASOURCE: Burke O'Neil
LLC CONTACT: Attorney, Susan Burke of Burke O'Neil LLC,
+1-202-445-1409; or Media, Erin Powers of Powers MediaWorks LLC,
+1-281-703-6000, for Burke O'Neil LLC
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