Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) use makeshift detonating mechanisms that can lead to devastating injuries. Roadside IED explosions during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have left many veterans and their families in dire straits through death, lifelong disabilities and emotional trauma.

Roadside IED injuries were the cause of 63 percent and 66 percent of coalition deaths during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars respectively. The roadside IED devices were—according to a 2006 edition of The Telegraph in Britain—manufactured in the nearby country of Iran in numerous factories.

Further investigation led to confirmation by Admiral Mike Mullen in 2011 that Iran was engaging in direct support of Shiite extremists by sending roadside IEDs and other munitions. This confirmation noted that the Iranian government was at all junctures of this supply process fully aware of the munitions pipeline.

Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2011, further indicated that roadside IED devices, explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), and Improvised Rocket-Assisted Munitions (IRAMs) shipped from Iran were responsible for a high troop death rate.

EFPs can be disguised as refuse and hidden off the road far from view. They are deadly because they can compromise the armor of tanks and other military vehicles without sustaining any damage themselves and can travel quite a bit further than roadside IED munition.

IRAMs are often launched via a remote apparatus and consist of propane tanks filled with explosives. These tanks are propelled by small attached rockets.

The manufacturing of roadside IED, EFP, and IRAM munitions provided by Iran should have been prevented by sanctions the U.S. Congress placed on the country. The sanctions were supposed to operate by eliminating the avenues by which it could obtain necessary funding for munition factories.

The country was very resourceful, however, in allegedly locating and securing funding through large international banks that were willing to conspire with said operations to secure a profit.

The banks that have pled guilty to charges pending by the U.S. and settled accordingly include Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp (HSBC) of the United Kingdom, Commerzbank of Germany, and Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) Paribus of France.

The Anti-Terrorism Act and Roadside IED Injuries

There is hope for veterans injured by the munitions supplied by Iran and their families through the Anti-terrorism Act of 1992. This act gives American citizens injured through acts of international terrorism the right to sue banks and other funding sources that provided the monetary means for munitions manufacturing in violation of U.S. and international law.

There are many injuries that qualify under this law for compensation, but it is recommended that the veteran or surviving family seek the services of an anti-terrorism attorney with experience in this legal area.

Some of the qualifying injuries include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), loss of one or more senses such as hearing or vision, disabilities from spinal cord compromise, broken bones and limb amputations.

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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