Law Firms Motley Rice LLC and Burke PLLC Join Forces to Take on KBR and Halliburton on Behalf of American Soldiers, Veterans and
February 24 2010 - 3:57PM
PR Newswire (US)
Suit Claims Wartime Contractors Halliburton and KBR Knew Dangers of
Burn Pit Exposure CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Motley Rice LLC, one of the nation's largest plaintiffs'
litigation firms, announces today that it has joined forces with
Burke PLLC to jointly pursue claims for clients in the KBR, Inc.,
Burn Pit multidistrict litigation. The MDL encompasses suits
against defense contractors who allegedly jeopardized the health
and safety of thousands of American veterans, current service
members and former contract employees by knowingly burning vast
quantities of hazardous waste in open-air burn pits on U.S.
military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yesterday, the Honorable
Roger W. Titus of the U.S. District Court for the District of
Maryland provided the parties with briefing schedules and hearing
dates, including one on the defendants' motions to dismiss. Named
defendants include: KBR, Inc. of Houston (NYSE:KBR); Kellogg, Brown
& Root LLC, of Austin, Texas; Kellogg, Brown & Root
Services, Inc., of Houston, Texas; Turkish-based ERKA Ltd.; and
Halliburton Company, of Houston, Texas. The collective claims
against these defendants include those for battery, breach of
contract, breach of duty to warn, future medical expenses,
intentional infliction of emotional distress, medical monitoring,
negligence and wrongful death. "The U.S. government entered into a
contract with and paid millions to defendants Halliburton and KBR
to ensure that they implemented our country's strict safety
standards for waste disposal. We believe these contractors failed
to hold up their end of the deal by ignoring these standards, and
now thousands have been unnecessarily poisoned," stated Motley Rice
co-founder, Joe Rice. "Our soldiers and service members understood
the potential risk of warfare but never expected the harm to come
from those who were hired to protect them." Combining their firms'
strengths and experience in complex civil litigation and human
rights, Rice and Burke continue to pursue the litigation that
originated in 2008 when Burke began filing lawsuits on behalf of
current service members, military veterans and former employees of
KBR and other contractors who contacted her for help. Each reports
exposure to burn pit emissions and alleges that this exposure
caused them to suffer chronic illnesses since their return from
Iraq and Afghanistan. Several people also approached Burke on
behalf of family members who died due to cancers linked to the type
of dioxins allegedly released by burning waste in long-term use
burn pits. The growing number of plaintiffs ultimately led Burke to
seek consolidation of the lawsuits and approach Motley Rice.
Yesterday, Burke was appointed by the Court to serve as Lead and
Liaison Counsel for the MDL. On December 15, 2009, 43 cases
(totaling approximately 300 plaintiffs) were consolidated in the
KBR, Inc., Burn Pit MDL before Judge Titus. Motley Rice LLC and
Burke PLLC are now fighting together on behalf of U.S. service
members and families of loved ones in In re KBR Inc. Burn Pit
Litigation, case number 08-02083. Since the MDL consolidation, the
number of inquiries from potential clients and individuals wishing
to share burn pit data has continued to grow significantly, and
both Congress and President Obama have been addressing the issue.
In addition to the National Defense Authorization Act that the
President signed into law on October 28, 2009, to monitor waste
disposal methods, the Senate Democratic Policy Committee held a
hearing on November 6, 2009, to discuss potential contracting
abuses and health risks associated with the continued use of
open-air burn pits. "In addition to hearing the shocking stories
about the kinds of waste being burned in the burn pits, I have
listened to personal reports from our service men and women about
injuries that they have sustained, some as serious as lung cancer
and leukemia, " Burke stated. "All passed physical tests before
being deployed. Many had plans of a life-long military career.
Today some of our clients can't walk up a flight of stairs; others
can't get out of bed." "The defendants were more than willing to
compete for and take millions to manage the waste and water
facilities on U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan but appear, based
on their court filings, unwilling to take responsibility for the
dwindling health of our soldiers, veterans and contract personnel,"
added Burke. Plaintiffs in the KBR, Inc., Burn Pit MDL allege that
the defendants allowed known carcinogens to be released into the
breathing air by neglecting to implement the required U.S. safety
controls for waste disposal. Reported alleged side effects from
burn pit exposure include: -- Asthma -- Cancers (lung, brain, bone,
skin) -- Chronic bronchitis -- Chronic infections -- Chronic
respiratory problems -- Serious heart conditions "While the
discovery process allowed by the federal courts has not started in
this case, we are doing our own investigation. We have heard from
many victims of the burn pits and continue to seek information from
witnesses who know what took place," said Rice. "Our clients just
want to know the facts and the truth from Halliburton, KBR and the
military. We hope to discover the truth." For an expanded list of
reported injuries alleged to be linked to the pits and items that
eyewitnesses have reported to have been burned in the pits, please
visit http://www.burnpitlawsuit.com/. Joe Rice co-founded Motley
Rice LLC with litigator Ron Motley and manages a firm recognized
for its willingness to litigate complex civil cases and challenging
occupational and public health, anti-terrorism and human rights
cases, including the landmark 9/11 litigation against terrorist
financiers. The firm's experience taking on large corporations has
its roots in the large asbestos litigation that began in the 1970s
and its subsequent fight against the four largest tobacco
manufacturers in the 1990s that resulted in the largest financial
resolution of civil litigation in U.S. history. With more than 60
attorneys and hundreds of staff, the firm handles complex
litigation that helps to protect those harmed by wrongdoing and
negligence. Motley Rice LLC is headquartered in South Carolina, and
has additional offices in Connecticut; New York; Rhode Island;
Washington, D.C.; and West Virginia. Washington, D.C.-based firm
Burke PLLC is known not only for its strong history in complex and
civil litigation but also for its commitment to human rights work,
strengths that compliment Motley Rice's experience in human rights
and occupational disease and toxic tort litigation. Most recently,
Burke served as lead counsel in five actions brought on behalf of
alleged Abu Ghraib torture victims against CACI and L-3 and as lead
counsel in the internationally watched action filed against defense
contractor Blackwater over alleged civilian shootings in Iraq.
Burke's work on the Blackwater case has been featured in Jeremy
Scahill's best-selling book, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's
Most Powerful Mercenary Army," and she and her firms' attorneys
were among the first to actively investigate the potential hazards
of open-air burn pits on the health and welfare of U.S. soldiers
and military personnel. For more information about Motley Rice LLC
or burn pit litigation, contact attorney Joe Rice (SC) at +1
800.768.4026 or visit http://www.burnpitlawsuit.com/ and
http://www.motleyrice.com/. CONTACT: Erin Powers, +1-281-703-6000,
, for Motley Rice LLC DATASOURCE: Motley Rice, LLC CONTACT: Erin
Powers, +1-281-703-6000, , for Motley Rice LLC Web Site:
http://www.motleyrice.com/ http://www.burnpitlawsuit.com/
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