Court Finds Sufficient Physical Injuries to Allow Emotional Distress Claims against KBR

PORTLAND, Ore. — A U.S. magistrate judge has awarded summary judgment to KBR Inc. (NYSE: KBR) on genetic transformation claims by 34 Iraq war veterans who allege injury from chemical exposure, but found sufficient physical injury claims remaining to support their bid for emotional distress damages.

The Sept. 17 opinion by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Papak of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon followed the court’s Sept. 13 denial of KBR’s motion for summary judgment on statute of limitations grounds.

In that ruling, the magistrate judge found no evidence that plaintiffs were aware of KBR’s role …