Iraq War Fund
U.S. service members, veterans, and contractors who were injured in the Iraq War or their families may be able to recover compensation from multiple organizations identified as sponsors of terrorism during nearly a decade of combat in Iraq.
Many veterans, contractors and Gold Star families harmed by acts of terrorism have taken legal action under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act against the Islamic Republic of Iran, its Central Bank, the Islamic Republic Guard Corps, and its agencies and sought significant compensation. Gartlan Injury Law, an Alabama personal injury law firm, is investigating potential civil lawsuits against foreign countries that sponsor terrorism, several international banks, and others that conspired with and/or provided material assistance and financial services to Iran and the terrorists.
If you are a U.S. veteran, active service member, or former civilian contractor who was injured or a dependent family member of such an individual who was killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2011 by Iranian-sponsored terrorism, you may have a right to file a claim and demand compensation. Please contact the law firm of Gartlan Injury Law for a free consultation about filing a claim.
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Anti-Terrorism Laws Hold Foreign Countries Liable
In most cases, foreign countries are immune from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. However, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (28 U.S.C. § 1605A) waives immunity from lawsuits regarding “personal injury or death that was caused by an act of torture, extrajudicial killing, aircraft sabotage, hostage-taking, or the provision of material support or resources for such an act.”
Such claims may be filed against a foreign state if it was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism at the time of the act of violence and if the claimant is a U.S. citizen, a member of the U.S. armed forces or an employee of the U.S. government.
Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1984. It is established fact that Iran provided material support and funding to terrorists and insurgents operating in Iraq during the war, which enabled terrorist groups to carry out attacks that injured and killed our service members and contractors. Numerous military officials, diplomats, and heads of state have disclosed Iran’s involvement in killing and injuring U.S. service members.
The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act allows plaintiffs to seek compensation for lost income, lost earning ability, medical bills, and damages for physical pain and emotional pain and suffering following the wrongful death of a family member.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 2333, any citizen of the United States injured by an act of international terrorism, or his or her estate, survivors or heirs, may sue and if successful recover threefold the damages he or she sustains, plus the cost of the suit, including attorney fees.
Have Any Banks Been Held Liable for U.S. Military Injuries in Iraq?
Over a 10-year period, Iran was aided by a group of international banks that funneled money to the country’s terrorism efforts in violation of international sanctions that prohibited such transactions. Hundreds of millions of dollars were funneled to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, a military wing that conducts operations outside Iran, and terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah, which carried out attacks that killed and maimed U.S. troops and civilians in Iraq.
Several banks so far have admitted to the criminal conspiracies, most in “deferred prosecution agreements.” In many of those agreements, the banks have agreed to pay the U.S. government fines and forfeit billions of dollars for the violations. They include:
- Barclays Plc.
- BNP Paribas S.A.
- Commerzbank A.G.
- Crédit Suisse AG and Crédit Suisse Asset Management Limited
- HSBC Holding Group Plc.
- Standard Chartered Bank Plc.
Who Is Entitled to Bring an Anti-Terrorism Claim?
You may be able to bring a claim against Iran, its agents, and/or banks that aided Iran if you:
- Were a member of the U.S. armed services in the Iraq War (2003-2011) and were wounded in a terrorist attack
- Were a U.S. contractor wounded in a terrorist attack in Iraq during the war
- Are the surviving immediate family member of a service member (Gold Star family) or of a contractor killed in a terrorist attack during the Iraq war.
The United States Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund (USVSST Fund) is designed to award compensation to victims of international state-sponsored terrorism who have secured final judgments in lawsuits against a state sponsor of terrorism or were held hostage at the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran, from 1979 to 1981 (and eligible spouses and children).
The USVSST Fund has recovered over $3.25 billion in judgments and settlements and distributed it to U.S. victims of state-sponsored terrorism.
If you qualify to pursue a legal claim based on an act of terrorism in Iraq, Gartlan Injury Law can help you pursue legal action and seek compensation for your injuries or the loss of your loved one.
If you are eligible to pursue a claim with the USVSST Fund, Gartlan Injury Law can help you compile the necessary documentation and meet other requirements to seek compensation. We can examine your case to determine which is the best path forward for you.
Why Choose Gartlan Injury Law?
Attorney Aaron Gartlan is an experienced and aggressive Alabama personal injury lawyer. Having served as a field artillery sergeant with the Alabama National Guard, he is committed to helping veterans, active-duty military members, contractors, and bereaved family members of those harmed by terrorist activities in Iraq demand full compensation. The law firm can provide you with a free legal consultation to review your case and explain your options ─ in confidence and at no risk to you. If you are eligible, attorney Aaron Gartlan can help you pursue compensation under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The law firm handles cases on a contingency basis and only collects a fee if we recover money for you. To learn more, call or reach us online now.
People across Dothan and throughout Alabama have come to rely on the law firm of Gartlan Injury Law.
Aaron Gartlan is a graduate of Troy University and the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law who focuses his practice exclusively on representing those injured by the wrongdoing of others. He is member of the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition to his legal practice, Aaron teaches Business Law as an adjunct instructor at Troy University’s Sorrell College of Business and serves as a field artillery sergeant in the Alabama National Guard.
