A recent lawsuit seeks compensation for IED wounds and other injuries caused by terrorist actions allegedly funded by several big banks.

The 559 page complaint, filed by injured soldiers and the families of deceased soldiers, claim that banks laundered billions of dollars on behalf of Iran in order to finance terrorism.

The IED lawsuit targets numerous banks including Deutsche Bank, HSBC Bank, Commerzbank, Barclays Bank, BNP Paribas, Royal Bank of Scotland, and more. These banks are accused of funding terrorist weapons in Iran which have caused IED wounds and killed countless soldiers in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

“By intentionally disguising financial payments to and from USD-denominated accounts and conducting illicit trade-finance transactions on Iran’s behalf, Defendants provided the billions of dollars of support Iran needed to fund its terrorism campaign in Iraq,” the IED lawsuit claims.

The complaint details the injuries and deaths sustained by soldiers in terrorist attacks which allegedly implemented IEDs, EFPs, and rockets manufactured in Iran. These attacks caused serious injuries and, in some cases, deaths. Families of injured and deceased soldiers are also participating in the lawsuit, and claim damages of mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and more.

The injured soldiers and families bring claims under the Anti-Terrorism Act which states the following: “Any national of the United States injured in his or her person, property, or business by reason of an act of international terrorism, or his or her estate, survivors, or heirs, may sue therefor in any appropriate district court of the United States and shall recover threefold the damages he or she sustains and the cost of the suit, including attorney’s fees.”

Under this law, plaintiffs in the Iranian terrorism lawsuit seek compensatory damages, treble damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

The Heightened Dangers of IEDs

Various explosive devices are being used around the world in both war acts and terrorism. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are bombs which are not constructed and deployed as is typical to conventional military action. These explosives are commonly used in terrorist attacks, unconventional warfare, and in roadside attacks. It is estimated that in the Iraq War, IEDs’ extensive use accounted for 63 percent of coalition deaths.

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) notes that, while the use of IEDs is not entirely prohibited, the use of these weapons is regulated by international humanitarian law. Unlawful use of IEDs includes attacks which “deliberately target concentrations of civilians to achieve a maximum effect of lethality, terror and societal disruption”. Unfortunately, these attacks occur around the world hundreds of times a month.

In 2011, Adm. Mike Mullen (then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) revealed that the Iranian government was sending IEDs and other weapons to extremist terrorist groups in Iraq. Sanctions were placed on the country, but the banks included in the lawsuit allegedly worked with Iran to get around these sanctions and secure them funding for weapons in exchange for large profits.

The IED Wounds Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-12325 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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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