Some of the deadliest attacks against the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan have been made using EFP IED roadside bombs.

EFP IED Functional Differences

There are several significant EFP IED differences that distinguish these kinds of bombs.

An improvised explosive device, or IED, is a type of bomb often used as a roadside bomb. IEDs are unique and can be made with a wide variety of chemicals and other toxic materials—anything that could cause harm upon exploding.

Essentially, IEDs can come in a number of different forms, and while they are often roadside bombs, they can also be thrown, delivered in a package, and more. IEDs are, at their core, “homemade” bombs, and can include a slew of different elements like different chemicals, added materials like nails, glass, or metal fragments to increase the amount of shrapnel produced, and more.

An explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, is a specific and particularly deadly type of IED sometimes referred to as a “superbomb,” and they are more complex than most simple IEDs. While other IEDs generally explode in all directions, sending shrapnel flying, EFPs are focused on penetration.

An EFP uses a PVC pipe or short piece of steel filled with explosives, then sealed and covered with a concave copper disk on top. When the explosives inside are detonated, the copper plate inverts and is sent flying. EFPs are capable of moving approximately a mile per second, giving them serious power. EFPs can punch through the armor of a tank hundreds of feet away from the initial blast.

The New York Times called EFPs the “single most lethal weapon American forces faced in Iraq.” While EFPs are responsible for a smaller percentage of deaths, they are considered more lethal because of their power, able to pierce tank armor and travel more than a hundred yards.

Have You Been a Victim of an EFP IED Attack?

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, many IEDs and EFPs used against the U.S. military during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were supplied by Iran, which actively circumvented sanctions the U.S. had placed on it. Several banks have been found to have helped Iran circumvent these sanctions.

The U.S law says, “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 she sustains and the cost of the suit, including attorney’s fees.” (18 U.S. Code § 2333)

Among the banks that have pled guilty and/or settled criminal charges are HSBC of UK, BNP Paribas of France, and Commerzbank of Germany. These three financial institutions also have paid fines to the United States, which held the banks responsible for helping Iran with finances in violation of U.S. and international law.

Other banks that have similar allegations against them for assisting the funding of EFP IED bombs used in Iraq between 2003 and 2011 include:

• Barclays Plc.
• BNP Paribas S.A.
• Commerzbank A.G.
• Credit Suisse AG and Credit Suisse Asset Management Limited
• HSBC Holding Group Plc.
• Standard Chartered Bank Plc.

These financial institutions paid billions of dollars to the U.S. because the banks admitted to laundering money and processing monetary transaction that were against the law to help Iran and other terror-sponsoring countries.

The world knows Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism that helped send cash to terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan in exchange for the terrorists attacking U.S. and coalition military members and contractors.

According to WashingtonInstitute.org, U.S. forces continued to be targeted even after the withdrawal of a majority of U.S. troops in 2017. An American soldier died Oct. 1, 2017 near Tikrit where an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia set off an EFP. Similar EFPs were used in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Yemeni.

According to one victim of an improvised explosive device, he remembers the moment when he lost his legs in Iraq in 2008. After his Humvee was blown apart by a projectile, he tried to assess his injuries and was unable to feel or move his legs. In an interview with The New York Times in January 2020, he recalled the incident. “I tried to wiggle my toes, and I couldn’t move them. It’s kind of hard to describe. You could feel wet meat, and I knew I lost my legs.”

According to him, the improvised bomb that cost him his legs and injured one of his arms was fired by militia members in Iraq, but paid for by Iran. Due to the IED he encountered, he was required to undergo more than 100 operations, including several operations to place a metal plate and screws into his arm.

Following the bomb attack, he filed a lawsuit with several other service members and their families against the Iranian government. Although it is unlikely that the victims of these EFP IED attacks will ever receive justice or significant compensation from Iran, some victims believe they have already experienced another form of justice.

In early January 2020, American forces tracked down and killed Major General Qassim Suleimani, a man believed to be responsible for a campaign of roadside bombs, projectiles, and other attacks against soldiers in Iraq. According to the U.S. military, Suleimani provided Iraqi militias with bombs and other weapons in order to target U.S. soldiers.

Americans who were injured in EFP IED attacks, or the family members of those killed, may be able to file a lawsuit against Iran and the banks linked with this state-sponsored terrorism under federal law. So far, the U.S. Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism Fund has paid out more than $1 billion to victims and their families. As applications are processed, that number is expected to keep climbing.

If you or someone you love has been the victim of an EFP IED attack in Iraq or Afghanistan, you may be entitled to compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these kinds of attacks, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

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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