Court rejects Iraq war contractor KBR’s appeal of Pa. soldier’s shower electrocution lawsuit

Appeal in Pa. soldier’s electrocution is rejected

PITTSBURGH — An appeals court has refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the parents of a Pittsburgh-area soldier electrocuted in an Army barracks shower in Iraq.

Houston-based military contractor KBR Inc. appealed last year after a federal judge refused its request to dismiss the lawsuit. KBR had argued the judge had no jurisdiction over military matters.

KBR claims it wasn’t responsible for Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth’s death in January 2008, when it was tasked with maintaining the barracks. Army investigators have determined a water pump shorted out and electrified water flowing into the soldier’s shower.

Tuesday’s 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling means the case will be sent back to U.S. District Judge Nora Berry Fischer for more pretrial proceedings.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.