June 13 2007 - Agent Orange cases going to appeals court

NEW YORK, Jun 11, 2007 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York is set to hear several cases regarding the alleged long-term effects of the Agent Orange defoliant.

The legal cases were introduced by several Vietnam War veterans and Vietnamese citizens and could potentially allow them to file lawsuits against the chemical companies that produced the defoliant, The New York Sun said Monday.

Arguments in the cases will begin next Monday in federal court and will mark the latest step in nearly 30 years of Agent Orange litigation.

While war veterans and citizens of Vietnam have contended that the toxic defoliant is responsible for a litany of health concerns, the targeted companies have consistently disputed those allegations.

Despite such a stance, several of those companies agreed to pay $180 million to a group of U.S. veterans as part of a related 1984 civil suit.

The Sun said that the companies targeted in the recent suits are the Dow Chemical Co., Monsanto Co., and Hercules Inc.

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