One more step has been taken in the seemingly never ending march of cases involving agents of the company formerly known as Blackwater, now re- christened Xe. Seven of the civil suits against Blackwater guards, stemming from the shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad’s Nisour Square in 2007, have been settled before trial. The news of the settlements is bookended by the dismissal of the criminal case against the guards and the arrest of two more former Blackwater employees for murder, based on shootings in Kabul, Afghanistan last May.
The settlement of the civil suits did not please every plaintiff. One of the wounded, Sami Hawas Hamoud Abu Iz, told the Associated Press that the company had offered $100,000 to each family of a person who died and $30,000 to those wounded. He said plaintiffs’ lawyers told victims they might not receive anything if they did not agree to a settlement. As in any civil suit, a plaintiff must weigh the cost and risk of continuing to trial and the sense of vindication that can accompany a win in court, with the absolute assurance of money received in a settlement.
An additional group of 10 plaintiffs has not yet settled.
Related Resources:
- Iraqis settle lawsuits over Blackwater shootings (LA Times)
- Former Blackwater Guards Charged With Murder (NY Times)
- What to Expect - A Lawsuit Chronology (FindLaw)
- Wrongful Death (provided by Harman, Warren & Harris, PLLP)
- Monetary Damages in Wrongful Death Cases (provided by Crain Lewis, LLP)
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