Congress passed legislation that created the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, which was later amended to the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund Clarification Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021. The goal of the USVSST is to provide compensation to those individuals harmed by state-sponsored terrorism.

What Does the USVSST Fund Do? Generally speaking, the USVSST Fund will award compensation to the individuals injured through terrorism that have been victims of attacks by terrorists and that have secured final judgments in a United States district court, garnering compensatory damages that arose from an act of international terrorism (and in which the terrorist was found not immune from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act).

The personal representatives of a deceased individual also fall under this umbrella of the USVSST. The Act usually requires that claimants submit an application not later than 90 days after the date of obtaining a final judgment. Claimants are required to meet all USVSST fund requirements to receive their allocated payment amounts, and all claimants have a continuing obligation to update claim information.

Getting Help with the USVSST Fund from an Experienced Sullo & Sullo Attorney - An experienced Iranian ballistic missile attack injury lawyer from Sullo & Sullo can help determine the facts that will affect eligibility for USVSST compensation for those who received traumatic brain injuries in the Al Asad Airbase ballistic missile attack, the Irbil International Airfield ballistic missile attack, the Camp Taji ballistic missile attack, or the Camp Manion ballistic missile attack. The USVSST Fund will continue working to identify matters that qualify under the Act; the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 extended the term of the USVSST Fund from 2030 to 2039.

Damages from Tehran’s Targeted Attack of the Al-Asad Airbase - Tehran’s attack targeting the Al-Asad Airbase—where as many as 1,000 troops were stationed—sent as many as 15 ballistic missiles in a strike that was retaliation for the killing by the U.S. of Quassem Soleimani. Buildings, equipment, and parking lots were damaged during the strike, however, more importantly, U.S. service members suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of the attack. The missiles were 1,000--2,000-pound munitions, and it is believed the intent of the Iranians was to kill American troops.

These particular ballistic missiles have bursting radiuses of 50-100 feet and are considered extremely significant, very serious weapons. Despite initial assessments of few or no injuries, the Pentagon revised their initial statements, noting that TBI symptoms like headaches and dizziness can appear later, manifesting over a period of time.  Even though the Pentagon’s injury reporting system classifies traumatic brain injuries as a “mild” injury, in fact, TBIs can cause long-term health and mental problems, particularly when a service member has experienced a number of TBIs and suffers from CTE.

Those who have CTE can have an especially difficult time and may deal with chronic brain fog, chronic headaches, ongoing depression, substance abuse, and even suicidal thoughts. A service member that has given so much to protect the United States of America could find they are left injured, perhaps even unable to work. Because of this, the USVSST Fund is extremely important in helping these injured service members regain their lives. Because anything associated with the United States government can be difficult to sort out, having an Iranian ballistic missile attack injury lawyer from Sullo & Sullo can bring peace of mind as our injured service members attempt to regain their lives.