Supreme Court revives wounded veteran’s lawsuit against a contractor over suicide bombing
Summary
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that a veteran injured by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan can sue the government contractor responsible for the attacker’s work. The contractor, Fluor Corporation, was accused of failing to properly supervise the employee who built the explosive vest used in the attack.Key Facts
- The veteran, Army Specialist Winston Hencely, was wounded in a 2016 suicide bombing at Bagram Airfield during a Veterans Day weekend race.
- The attacker, Ahmad Nayeb, detonated his explosive vest after Hencely confronted him, killing five people and injuring more than a dozen.
- Hencely suffered a fractured skull, brain injuries, seizures, and partial paralysis on his left side.
- Hencely sued Fluor Corporation, the government contractor Nayeb worked for, claiming the company failed to supervise Nayeb properly.
- Fluor argued it was immune from lawsuits because it was working under a government contract during wartime.
- The Supreme Court majority held that companies can be sued if they fail to perform their supervisory duties while working for the government.
- The ruling was written by Justice Clarence Thomas and joined by five other justices; three justices dissented.
- The dissenting justices expressed concerns that the lawsuit could interfere with government wartime policies, including employing Afghan workers.
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