VA Has Seen Significant Amount of Litigation Since 9/11

The years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have been turbulent for the Department of Veterans Affairs. As of early 2014, the VA has paid out more than $200 million to settle approximately 1,000 wrongful death cases, according to information from the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The types of cases that the VA has been involved with in that time span have been extremely varied. They include instances of suicide, drug overdoses caused by prescription errors, deaths caused by infections in VA facilities, internal bleeding following a routine colonoscopy and many more. Some of the claims have tied in directly with the events of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, while others have involved victims who joined the military long after the attacks occurred.

At the Marion VA in Illinois alone, 25 deaths in that time period resulted in approximately $7.7 million in payouts to settle wrongful death claims, the most that any single hospital has had to pay for wrongful death claims in the entire United States since 9/11.

The VA has been embroiled in controversy over the last year, and these figures certainly are a part of that. It is clear that there is a problem with the kind of care that veterans receive in the United States, not to mention the first responders and to the scene of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

If you believe a loved one has died due to someone else’s negligence in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, reach out to the experienced New York lawyers at Barasch, McGarry, Salzman & Penson for more information on your legal rights and options.