Twenty-eight years ago, the U.S. Congress passed the Anti-Terrorism Act, which made financial institutions potentially liable if they chose to deliberately provide funding for terrorist organizations.

It gave victims of international terrorism statutory recourse in federal court with the ability to file a civil lawsuit. After the twin tower collapse in the fall of 2001—a terrorist attack with an enormous number of American casualties—the Anti-Terrorism Act became even more important.

Prior to this very monumental terrorist attack on U.S. soil, victims could theoretically sue an offending terrorist organization, but only if they were physically located in the U.S. or had a sizeable amount of funding tied up in the U.S. economy.

Outlooks changed in the early part of the new millennium, as citizens started investigating where such organizations got the money to carry out heinous acts.

Plaintiffs started coming forward in the original spirit of the Anti-Terrorism Act to sue banks that did business with terrorist organizations, providing them money laundering services and otherwise financially backing their activities.

In the latter part of 2014, a group of wounded Iraqi war veterans and Gold Star families—surviving families of servicemembers killed in the line-of-duty—decided to legally take on seven European Union Banks.  These plaintiffs claim that the banks’ funding of various groups in Iran, in direct violation of economic sanctions set up by the U.S. government, makes them responsible

The lawsuit claimed that damages were due them for injuries and deaths related to roadside IED bombs and other terrorist munitions despite the foreign financial institutions having already come to a monetary agreement with the U.S.

The plaintiffs in the case stated through their counsel that $100 million was funneled to military groups in Iran. This support allowed the groups to carry out attacks in Iraq from 2003 to 2011.

While the involved European Union banks already admitted they failed to adhere to Iranian economic sanctions and postponed prosecution by offering over $3 billion to the U.S. government, these veterans and Gold Star families claim that it is within their rights under the Anti-Terrorism Act to make personal claims for their pain and suffering.

Filing an Anti-Terrorism Act Lawsuit—Do You Qualify?

There are thousands of Iraqi war veterans that struggle with ongoing physical and psychological injuries such as loss of a limb, traumatic brain injury, chronic unresolved grief after losing close friends, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

It is difficult for them to pay for the medical care they need on an ongoing basis as well as earn a living to support their family. Gold Star families also suffer permanent loss and could benefit from the financial support an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit could render.

If you are or know of a veteran or Gold Star family that might qualify and benefit from making this kind of legal claim, fill out our form for a free, initial legal consultation.

If you or a loved one was injured or killed by an IED or EFP while fighting in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars, legal recourse is available. Get help now by filling out the form on this page for a FREE case evaluation.

The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or anti-terrorist class action lawsuit is best for you. (In general, anti-terrorist lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.) After you fill out the form, the attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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