On April 30, KBR, Houston, filed a notice of appeal with the 3rd U.S. Circuit Courth of Appeals to overturn a March ruling by a federal judge who refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the parents of a Pittsburgh-area soldier who was electrocuted while showering in Iraq. The company had argued the judge had no jurisdiction over military matters.
KBR claims it was not responsible for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth's death in January 2008. Army investigators determined a pump shorted out and electrified water flowing into Maseth's shower. The military is investigating his and 17 other electrocution deaths of troops and contractors in Iraq.
For an in-depth look at this and other electrocution deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq, check out the January cover story of EC&M.