Contractor hurt in Iraq sues for damages

LONDON, June 30 (UPI) -- An engineer injured in Iraq says his landmark lawsuit against Britain's Ministry of Defense and a consultant could help other contractors hurt in war zones.

Graham Hopps, 45, of Leeds, lost his right shoulder in 2003 when an unarmored Land Rover in which he was riding hit a roadside bomb in Basra's "bomb alley," The Times of London reported Tuesday. Another engineer in the Rover was killed.

The case, the first of its kind in Britain, is being heard this week in the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Hopps blames Mott MacDonald, the engineering firm that hired him, and Britain's Ministry of Defense for failing to provide adequately protected vehicles when driving down what Hopps called "unapproved" routes.

"A lot of these companies get away with cutting corners for people and it's not right," Hopps said.

Hopps was a contractor on a power station project operated by Mott MacDonald, which had been hired by the British government.

Mott MacDonald, one of the world's largest engineering firms, said it tries to ensure safety of staff and contractors in Iraq. A defense ministry spokesman said the ministry "pays compensation (when) there is legal liability to do so."