U.A. Veteran's Affairs Secretary Faces Wrongful Death Suit by Family of Iraq War Veteran
Posted by
Amy RothschildJuly 31, 2007 9:34 AMThe family of an Iraq war veteran recently filed a lawsuit in Springfield, Massachusetts, on July 30, 2007, alleging negligence against Jim Nicholson, the secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary, in the suicide death of their son. The action states that the Veterans Affairs (VA)is at fault for the death of Jeffrey Lucey, a 23 year old Marine who committed suicide in June 2004, after he was purportedly denied mental health care following a tour of duty in Iraq.
According to the complaint, Lance Cpl. Jeffrey Lucey began to have problems several months after returning to the United States from Iraq. He had nightmares, daily bouts of vomiting and began drinking heavily. He soon started suffering from depression. The complaint alleges that Lance Cpl. Lucey's parents parents took him to the Northampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center where he was involuntarily committed for help. Shortly after, he was released after VA personnel said that they couldn't make an assessment of his post-traumatic stress disorder until he was alcohol free. A few days later, Lucey's family took him back to the center, but according to the legal action, VA staff turned him away. Lucey's father found his son dead two weeks later, his body hanging from a beam in the cellar.
The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of damages, and names Nicholson, who is leaving his job, and the U.S. government as defendants. Nicholson suddently announced last week that he would step down by Oct. 1. Nicholson has repeatedly defended the VA during the 2 1/2 years that he was employed with the agency although he has admitted that there has room for improvement.
The action comes just days after the group Veterans for Common Sense sued the Department of Veterans Affairs on behalf of injured Iraq war veterans. That lawsuit accuses VA of illegally denying the veterans disability pay and mental health treatment.
The Marine's family hopes that their action against VA will force President George W. Bush's administration to take expedient action to fix VA. The Marine's family believes that Veterans Affairs is dysfunctional and not providing appropriate care.
The VA refused to comment on the legal action, but a spokesperson said VA is committed to meeting the needs of its veterans" "VA has increased its mental health care staff and created new programs and services to meet the mental health care needs of veterans returning from the global war on terror."
The VA has been heavily criticized by lawmakers and others amid reports of months-long delays for treatment, poorly trained workers and inadequate screening for mental health problems.