Taylor v. Islamic Republic of Iran

881 F. Supp. 2d 19, 2012 WL 3126774, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 107954
District Court, District of Columbia·Decided August 2, 2012·No. No. 10-cv-844 (RCL)·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ROYCE C. LAMBERTH, Chief Judge.

I.Introduction

This action arises out of the devastating 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon.1 The attack decimated the facility, killed 241 U.S. servicemen and left countless others wounded. The families of eight Marines who were killed in the bombing now bring suit against defendant Islamic Republic of Iran (“Iran”). Their action is brought pursuant to the state-sponsored terrorism exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (“FSIA”), 28 U.S.C. §§ 1330, 1602 et seq., which was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (“NDAA”). Pub.L. No. 110-181, § 1083, 122 Stat. 3, 338-44 (2008). That provision, codified at 28 U.S.C. § 1605A, provides “a federal right of action against foreign states” that sponsor terrorist acts. Haim v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 784 F.Supp.2d 1, 4 (D.D.C.2011) (quoting reference omitted).

II. Liability

On August 29, 2011, this Court took judicial notice of the findings of fact and conclusions of law in Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran, which also concerns the Marine barracks bombing, and entered judgment in favor of the plaintiffs and against Iran with respect to all issues of liability. Taylor v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 811 F.Supp.2d 1, 6-10 (citing Peterson, 264 F.Supp.2d 46 (D.D.C.2003) (Peterson /)). This Court then referred this action to a special master for consideration of plaintiffs’ claims for damages. Id. at 17. Since the issue of liability has been previously settled, this Court now turns to examine the damages awards recommended by the special master.

III. Damages

Damages available under the FSIA-created cause of action “include economic damages, solatium, pain and suffering, and punitive damages.” 28 U.S.C. § 1605A(c). Accordingly, those who survived the attack may recover damages for their pain and suffering, as well as any other economic losses caused by their inju[22] ríes; estates of those who did not survive can recover economic losses stemming from wrongful death of the decedent; family members can recover solatium for their emotional injury; and all plaintiffs can recover punitive damages. Valore v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 700 F.Supp.2d 52, 82-83 (D.D.C.2010).

“To obtain damages against defendants in an FSIA action, the plaintiff must prove that the consequences of the defendants’ conduct were ‘reasonably certain (i.e., more likely than not) to occur, and must prove the amount of the damages by a reasonable estimate consistent with this [Circuit’s] application of the American rule on damages.’ ” Salazar v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 370 F.Supp.2d 105, 115-16 (D.D.C.2005) (quoting Hill v. Republic of Iraq, 328 F.3d 680, 681 (D.C.Cir.2003) (internal quotations omitted)). As discussed in Peterson II, plaintiffs have proven that the defendant’s commission of acts of extrajudicial killing and provision of material support and resources for such killing was reasonably certain to — and indeed intended to — cause injury to plaintiffs. Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran (Peterson II), 515 F.Supp.2d 25, 37 (D.D.C.2007).

The Court hereby ADOPTS, just as it did in Peterson II, Valore, Bland, Anderson, OBrien, Davis, and Brown all facts found by and recommendations made by the special master relating to the damages suffered by all plaintiffs in this case. Id. at 52-53; Valore, 700 F.Supp.2d at 84-87; Bland v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 831 F.Supp.2d 150, 154 (D.D.C.2011); Anderson v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 839 F.Supp.2d 263, 266 (D.D.C.2012); O'Brien v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 853 F.Supp.2d 44 (D.D.C.2012); Davis v. Islamic Republic of Iran, No. 07-cv-1302, 882 F.Supp.2d 7 (D.D.C. Mar.30, 2012), 2012 WL 1059700; Estate of Brown v. Islamic Republic of Iran, No. 08-CV-531, 872 F.Supp.2d 37 (D.D.C. July 3, 2012), 2012 WL 2562368. However, if the special master has deviated from the damages framework that this Court has applied in previous cases, “those amounts shall be altered so as to conform with the respective award amounts set forth” in the framework. Peterson II, 515 F.Supp.2d at 53. The final damages awarded to each plaintiff are contained in the table located within the separate Order and Judgment issued this date, and this Court discusses below any alterations it makes to the special master recommendations.2

A. Solatium

This Court developed a standardized approach for FSIA intentional infliction of emotional distress, or solatium, claims in Estate of Heiser v. Islamic Republic of Iran, where it surveyed past awards in the context of deceased victims of terrorism to determine that, based on averages, “[s]pouses typically receive greater damage awards than parents [or children], who, in turn, typically receive greater awards than siblings.” 466 F.Supp.2d 229, 269 (D.D.C.2006). Relying upon the average awards, the Heiser Court articulated a framework in which spouses of deceased victims were awarded [23] approximately $8 million, while parents received $5 million and siblings received $2.5 million. Id.; see also Valore, 700 F.Supp.2d at 85 (observing that courts have “adopted the framework set forth in Heiser as ‘an appropriate measure of damages for the family members of victims’ ”) (quoting Peterson II, 515 F.Supp.2d at 51). In the context of distress resulting from injury to loved ones — rather than death-courts have applied a framework where “awards are ‘valued at half of the awards to family members of the deceased’ — $4 million, $2.5 million and $1.25 million to spouses, parents, and siblings, respectively.” Oveissi v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 768 F.Supp.2d 16, 26 n. 10 (D.D.C.2011) (quoting Valore, 700 F.Supp.2d at 85); see also Bland, 831 F.Supp.2d at 157. Children of a deceased victim typically receive an award of $3 million, while children of a surviving victim receive $1.5 million. Stern v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 271 F.Supp.2d 286, 301 (D.D.C.2003); Bland, 831 F.Supp.2d at 157; Anderson, 839 F.Supp.2d at 266-67;

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Taylor v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 881 F. Supp. 2d 19, 2012 WL 3126774, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 107954 (D.D.C. 2012).

881 F. Supp. 2d 19 (Taylor v. Islamic Republic of Iran) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

State Of Washington v. Montlake, Llc
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2018
Goldberg-Botvin v. Islamic Republic of Iran
938 F. Supp. 2d 1 (District of Columbia, 2013)
Estate of Heiser v. Islamic Republic of Iran
885 F. Supp. 2d 429 (District of Columbia, 2012)