KBR guilty of negligence, must pay each soldier $850,000 in non-economic damages, $6.25 million in p

[kpete]

Source: The Oregonian

KBR guilty of negligence, must pay each soldier $850,000 in non-economic damages, $6.25 million in punitive damages



Defense contractor KBR Inc. was found guilty of negligence, not fraud, against a dozen Oregon Army National Guard soldiers. A jury announced the decision moments in a federal courthouse in Portland. Each soldier was awarded $850,000 in non-economic damages and $6.25 in punitive damages.

Watch here for more details as a tearful scene in the courtroom unfolds later this afternoon.

Friday's verdict closes the first phase of a web of litigation between National Guard and British troops against KBR Inc., the defense contractor they accuse of knowingly exposing them in 2003 to a carcinogen at Qarmat Ali, the water treatment plant near Basra, Iraq. Further, they charged, the company concealed information about the presence of sodium dichromate from them. KBR has denied the accusations.

In Oregon another set of Oregon soldiers are waiting in the wings for their day in court. Magistrate Judge Paul Papak and the attorneys agreed earlier to hold an initial trial with the first 12 soldiers, in order to keep the proceedings from becoming too unwieldy. A second trial, featuring all or some of the remaining 21 plaintiffs, could begin in federal court in Portland this winter.

Read more: http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonatwar/2012/11/kbr_verdict_is_in.html

[msanthrope]

1. Good. nt

[frylock]

2. not enough. people should be rotting in prison over shit like this.

this is chump change to KBR.

[glinda]

3. Totally right on that!

[savannah43]

11. Not if it's 6.5 million per plaintiff.

I'll go find out.

[savannah43]

12. Looks like DU beat many to the story. Start here if you want the details.

http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/awaiting-kbr-lawsuit-verdict/

[Ilsa]

21. Agreed. It wont stop unless the execs are rotting

In prison for decades for violating rights and trust.

This is what happens when you privatize critical operations!

[byeya]

4. I think there's a federal law that if a defense contractor engages in this type of behavior

the Defense Dept can ban them from doing business with the Defense Dept.
Is this right?
If it is, Why not ban KBR across the board?

[avaistheone1]

5. Good question.

k&r

[TheMadMonk]

6. Too many fingers. Too many pies. /nt

[jody]

8. "Why not ban KBR across the board?" How many contractors are left to bid? That's what happens when

DoD outsources major projects.

[jeff47]

16. There's lots and lots of contractors left to bid. (nt)

[savannah43]

10. Just a guess, but because they need money to pay off the plaintiffs in this suit?

[awoke_in_2003]

20. They will just reorganize...

under a different name.

[silvershadow]

25. ^This.

[Solly Mack]

7. k/r

[savannah43]

9. Mr. Cheney: I presume that you divested yourself of your ownership in KBR

before the law suit was filed. Am I correct?
I have money on your answer.

[MrModerate]

13. Too bad I can't sue . . .

For KBR's inept transportation operation in Baghdad that nearly got me and my colleagues killed every time we got on one of their buses. My company ended up not using them at all and hiring our own transport security (unfortunately at US taxpayers' expense) so we would have some chance of moving from A to B without getting our asses shot off.

I have no objection to the LogCap type of contract -- it makes sense when properly administered.

But KBR's contracts were never properly administered.

[DiverDave]

27. NO contract labor 'makes sense'

Contracts NEVER save the government money, never.
It's corporate welfare. period.

[MrModerate]

28. Excuse me?

The government should never issue a contract for anything to a private firm?

I suspect that's not what you mean.

[DirtyDawg]

14. Hell...

...if this works then maybe the family of the poor, unsuspecting guy whose heart Cheney got, could sue to get it back - and if it were my relative I'd insist that I be the one to physically retrieve it...right there in the court room.

[jpak]

15. Privatize Army logistics and this is what you get

Fuck Rumsfeld and Cheney

yup

[PavePusher]

24. Then we'll need a bigger Army. (And AF, Navy and Marines) And I would have no problem with that.

[DemoTex]

17. Thank goodness this was a Oregon case ..

And not Texas or SC. Oregon, my second home (May => October for fire season). What a great place!

[Stewland]

18. I luv me the progressive west coast

Thank our lucky stripes for the progressive left coasts. This offshoot of Haliburton ,Dick Cheneys company. I stand as a voice of reason and as we collectively stand the movement grows.

[skeewee08]

19. K&R...

[Heathen57]

22. About damn time

Hailburton/KBR will appeal, I'm sure, but if nothing else this is a moral victory and gives a glimmer of hope that justice can still prevail in this country.

[lovuian]

23. Justice prevails

these corporations do not care about the Military men and women

[libodem]

26. Cue the choir

The Hallelujah Chorus, baby! Hot Damn! Kick some war profiteering ass. Good!!!

[stlsaxman]

29. God, I hope this stops Cheneys new heart. Though the waste of a perfectly good heart...

might be a bit much to ask.

[libodem]

31. No, I have a lot of repenting to do on daily basis

For wishing ill on those motherfuckingsonofabitches. I'm the type who knows better and feels guilty about it later, in the Buddhism group. I don't know why he isn't dead. One of those deals with the devil like Cantor has, I suppose?

[lonestarnot]

30. Wooodamnwhoooo! K & fucking R!

Take that you bastards!