Sailor suing KBR over Iraqi accident

NORFOLK, Va., July 30 (UPI) -- A Navy corpsman alleges in a lawsuit employees of the engineering company KBR caused him to suffer serious injuries while serving in Iraq.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Peter Taylor alleges in a U.S. District Court lawsuit against the defense contracting company he suffered nerve damage and burns in 2007 when KBR employees activated power to an electrical box on which he was working, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot said Thursday.

Taylor, whose age was not reported, alleges KBR electricians activated the power at Camp Fallujah during the July 27, 2007, incident despite being specifically asked not to do so.

The hospital corpsman said he and a group of Marines had been attempting to hook up a generator for the camp following alleged malfunctions by a KBR generator.

Taylor's attorney, Stephen Swain, told the Virginian-Pilot his client's $2.5 million suit reflects an alleged lack of safety precautions taken by government-contracted companies overseas.

"So many times, the war profiteer folks across the way in Iraq and Afghanistan do not utilize the highest measure of safety," Swain said.