|
|
Article: New plaintiffs seek Agent Orange damages
- Article from:
- International Herald Tribune
- Article date:
- August 9, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightProvided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
|
William Glaberson
International Herald Tribune
08-09-2004
In 1984, after years of battles over science and damage tabulations, seven American chemical companies settled a huge class-action suit by Vietnam veterans who claimed that the defoliant Agent Orange caused cancer, birth defects and a nightmarish brew of other health problems. The companies paid out $180 million. By 1997, after the last payments had been made, 291,000 people had received benefits. The settlement was reached after a federal judge persuaded the companies to buy themselves out of protracted litigation. It was called a landmark legal peace on a brutally contentious issue and it was supposed to be the final word from the ...