A former Iraqi soldier who was injured by a grenade simulator while posing as a sheik in a U.S. military training exercise is barred under Workers’ Compensation Law from suing the U.S. Army, even though he was never employed by the Armed Forces, a federal judge in Buffalo has held.
Western District Judge William M. Skretny (See Profile) held that although Omran Al-Khazraji was employed by a private contractor and not the Army, the military exercised enough control over his performance to become a “special employer.” And because he was a “special employee” and received Workers’ Compensation benefits, Mr. Al-Khazraji cannot obtain damages from the Army, Judge Skretny held.
