» Electrocutions/Shocks Ms Sparky

Northwest Arkansas Family Mourns Marine Killed in Afghanistan (Updated)

Posted on: January 20th, 2012 at 6:29 pm — by Ms Sparky

Cpl. Jon-Luke Bateman (KARK 4 News)

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Kenneth Cochran, of Wilder, died Sunday in Helmand province. He was killed during combat operations along with 22-year-old Cpl. Jon-Luke Bateman, of Tulsa, Okla. ~ Idaho Family Mourns Death Of 20-Year-Old Marine

(KARK 4 News) – January 20, 2012 – A Northwest Arkansas family is mourning the loss of a young soldier in Afghanistan.

Cpl. Jon-Luke Bateman, 22, of Pahrump, Nevada, served with the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment.

He was killed on Sunday, along with another Marine, while supporting combat operations in Helmand province. Citing family members, the Pahrump Valley Times reports that Cpl. Bateman was working alongside a fellow Marine fixing a generator when both were electrocuted. A Department of Defense news release says the incident is under investigation.

On Facebook, Bateman listed his father as Tony Allen, who lives in Huntsville (Madison County).

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in A Soldiers Story, Electrocutions/Shocks. Tags: Cpl. Jon-Luke Bateman, Electrocutions, Electrocutions/Shocks, Lance Cpl. Kenneth Cochran, U.S. Marine Corps. No Comments »

Ryan we haven’t forgotten you

Posted on: January 2nd, 2012 at 7:07 am — by Ms Sparky

SSG Ryan Maseth was electrocuted in his shower in Baghdad and died January 2, 2008

The war in Iraq is all but over and our troops have pulled out. It’s been four years today since 24 year old SSG Ryan Maseth was electrocuted and died while showering in his living quarters at Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Baghdad. Ryan’s courageous mother, Cheryl Harris continues to fight, not only for the rights of her son, but for the safety of soldiers everywhere.

Cheryl filed suit against KBR for the death of her son. Although this suit drags on in the US courts at an agonizingly slow pace. KBR has pulled out all the stops in attempts to have this case dismissed in US courts, but much to KBR’s dismay, it hasn’t.

I will write every year I’m able to remind people of Ryan’s death, the product of corporate greed and corruption, and heroes like Cheryl Harris. We need more heroes like Cheryl!

You can read more on Cheryl’s case against KBR at Cheryl Harris vs KBR.

Below are links to past posts I’ve written and published on the anniversary of Ryan’s death.

SSG Ryan Maseth – You must be very proud! (2009)
Does anyone know what day this is? (2010)
3rd anniversary of the electrocution death of SSG Ryan Maseth (2011)

Cheryl, I pray the next post I publish about Ryan is how you succeeded in holding KBR accountable for his senseless death!

Ms Sparky

Posted in A Soldiers Story, Cheryl Harris vs KBR, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, KBR's CAR's, LAWSUITS, Lawsuits Against KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR, Ryan Maseth-US Army. Tags: Cheryl Harris, Electrocutions, Electrocutions/Shocks, Judge Nora Barry Fischer, LAWSUITS, Lawsuits Against KBR, SSG Ryan Maseth. 1 Comment »

KBR Dodges Lawsuit by Electrocuted Marine

Posted on: October 10th, 2011 at 10:25 am — by Forseti

KIM CALANTROPO - (Courthouse News) – RICHMOND, Va. – October 10, 2011 – A Marine who was electrocuted while trying to install a wiring box at the military base near Fallujah, Iraq, cannot pursue negligence claims against defense contractor Kellogg Brown & Root, the 4th Circuit ruled.

Peter Taylor had sought relief from the appellate court after a federal judge dismissed the claim in April 2010. Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Doumar had agreed with KBR that Taylor lacked subject-matter jurisdiction since the political question doctrine bars negligence claims. Doumar also found that the “combat activities” exemption of the Federal Tort Claims Act pre-empts the suit.

The 4th Circuit declined to revive Taylor’s claim, but it did vacate the trial court’s finding about the pre-emption issue since the lack of jurisdiction removes the judges need to consider this aspect of the case.

Taylor, a hospital corpsman for the Marines, had been stationed at a camp about 15 miles outside Fallujah at the time of the July 2007 accident. A generator malfunction had incapacitated the tank ramp that troops used to maintain Marine tanks, Humvees and other vehicles.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in A Soldiers Story, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, KBR, KBR Contract, KBR Investigations, LAWSUITS, Lawsuits Against KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR. Tags: Camp Fallujah, Electrocutions/Shocks, Judge Robert G. Doumar, Judge Robert King, KBR, Petty Officer 2nd Class Peter Taylor, William Stickman. No Comments »

“KBR protests too much” says Judge Fischer

Posted on: September 24th, 2011 at 8:39 am — by Ms Sparky

Company’s motion denied in electrocution death lawsuit
Saturday, September 24, 2011
By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For the second time, U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer has denied a motion by Houston-based defense contractor Kellogg Brown & Root Services Inc. to have the civil case stemming from a sergeant’s death decided under Iraqi law.

“From the Court’s view, KBR ‘protests too much,’ ” Judge Fischer wrote in an order denying the firm’s motion for reconsideration of her June order that laws of the U.S. apply in the death of Staff Sgt. Ryan Douglas Maseth, 24. “Iraq’s negligible interests in this case are far outweighed by those of the United States and the controlling law of the United States will be applied.”

Mr. Maseth’s parents, who live in the North Hills, sued KBR over his death by electrocution on Jan. 2, 2008, while showering on the U.S. base at Radwaniyah Palace complex in Baghdad. They blame a short circuit in an electrical water pump, and say KBR was responsible for fixing electrical problems at the complex.

Neither KBR’s attorneys, nor those representing the parents, could be reached for comment. Had KBR prevailed, Judge Fischer would have tried the case locally, but under Iraqi law that does not allow for punitive damages. (click HERE for original article)

Posted in Cheryl Harris vs KBR, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, Lawsuits Against KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR, Ryan Maseth-US Army. Tags: Cheryl Harris, Electrocutions, Judge Nora Barry Fischer, Lawsuits Against KBR, SSG Ryan Maseth. 3 Comments »

Suspected electrical fire in Afghanistan kills three U.S. Marines and injures two others

Posted on: August 15th, 2011 at 8:18 am — by Ms Sparky

SSG Ryan Maseth was electrocuted in his shower in Baghdad and died January 2, 2008

A recent fire that occurred on July 31, 2011 at Camp Lawton, Herat Province, Afghanistan killing three Marines, a K-9 and injuring two others is suspected of being caused by improperly installed electrical systems. The building where these Marines died had been recently constructed and was still under a 1-year warranty by the Afghan contractor who built it. My understanding is the investigation is still ongoing by the Defense Department and Task Force POWER. Task Force POWER, manned by TENG & Associates, is the Afghanistan version of Task Force SAFE in Iraq. These task forces were implemented by the DoD to ensure proper electrical installations in Iraq and Afghanistan after the tragic death of SSG Ryan Maseth, who was electrocuted and died in his shower in Baghdad on January 2, 2008. Is death was caused by an improperly installed electrical water pump in his building.

The issue of shoddy electrical work in Iraq and Afghanistan has been an ongoing problem. There have been several electrocution deaths of soldiers and civilians, 100′s of electrical fires killing and injuring soldiers, civilians and damaging property. The issue of shoddy electrical work has been so pervasive, the U.S. Congress has attempted to address this issue at several hearings held by the Senate Democratic Policy Committee and The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

In a recent article in the Marine Corp Times, they reported:

Three Marine Corps special operators died Sunday along with a military dog after their living quarters caught fire in western Afghanistan.

The U.S. Marines who died in this tragedy were: (Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, Politics, Rants, Ryan Maseth-US Army. Tags: Camp Lawton, Christopher M. Wrinkle, Dennis E. Kancler, House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, Patrick R. Dolphin, Senate Democratic Policy Committee, Senate DPC, SSG Ryan Maseth, Task Force POWER, Task Force SAFE, TENG, Tosca. 7 Comments »

KBR’s legal maneuvers denied in SSG Ryan Maseth case

Posted on: June 22nd, 2011 at 5:25 am — by Ms Sparky

Iraqi Law Won’t Apply in Suit Over Dead Soldier

Cheryl Harris and SSG Ryan Maseth

By REUBEN KRAMER – PITTSBURGH (CN) – June 21, 2011 – The parents of a Green Beret who was electrocuted while showering at base camp during his second tour of duty in Iraq can use U.S. law to pursue wrongful-death claims against Texas-based military contractor Kellogg, Brown & Root, a federal judge ruled.

Cheryl Harris and Douglas Maseth sued KBR (PDF) in March 2008, claiming 11 on-base electrocutions of American military personnel in Iraq gave the contractor notice about sweeping electrical problems. But despite this notice, the couple says KBR “did nothing to fix” the “faulty electric infrastructure,” which included the improperly grounded water-pump system that sent a stream of electrified water through the shower nozzle, killing their son, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth.

KBR moved on Feb. 4 to apply the Iraqi Civil Code to the case, submitting an expert report that argued Iraqi law does not allow an estate to obtain damages for a decedent’s pain, suffering or emotional distress.

(Read the rest of the story here…)

Posted in A Soldiers Story, Cheryl Harris vs KBR, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, Lawsuits Against KBR, LOGCAP III - KBR, Ryan Maseth-US Army. Tags: Cheryl Harris, Electrocutions, Judge Nora Barry Fischer, KBR, SSG Ryan Maseth. No Comments »

Judge rules against KBR in Ryan Maseth case (with opinion)

Posted on: June 17th, 2011 at 11:45 am — by Ms Sparky

For a copy of Judge Nora Barry Fischer’s opinion click HERE

Judge: Iraq law won’t apply to Maseth wrongful death suit

Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth

Brian Bowling – PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW – June 17, 2011 – A defense contractor wasn’t in Iraq at the request of the government or because of its business climate, so Iraq has no interest in applying its civil tort laws to a wrongful death lawsuit brought against the company by the parents of a dead soldier, a federal judge ruled today.

The parents of Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, a native of Shaler, are suing KBR Inc. for the Jan. 2, 2008, death of their son while he showered on a military base in Iraq maintained by the company. Cheryl Harris and Douglas Maseth claim shoddy electrical work by the contractor caused their son’s electrocution.

KBR had the maintenance contract for the base but claims it was not responsible for repairs and did not work on the pump.

The Houston-based defense contractor asked U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer to apply Iraqi law to the lawsuit because Iraq`s laws would make it hard for Maseth`s parents to prove KBR was responsible for his death, limit the compensatory damages they could receive and prevent them from getting punitive damages.

(Read the rest of the story here…)