VA wrongful death payments hit $200 million in decade after 9/11


By SB Anderson

The Veteran’s Administration has paid out some $200 million in wrongful death penalties since 9/11, The Center for Public Integrity reported today. Records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request showed about 1,000 payments over 10 years.

Deaths ranged from “decorated Iraq War veterans who shot or hanged themselves after being turned away from mental health treatment, to Vietnam veterans whose cancerous tumors were identified but allowed to grow, to missed diagnoses, botched surgeries and fatal neglect of elderly veterans,” CIR’s story said.

Below is a CIR’s interactive map that shows payouts and case details by local VA facility. Zoom out a bit to see Hawaii and Puerto Rico.