WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A series of civil lawsuits against defense contractors KBR and its former parent company Halliburton claims the companies endangered the health of U.S. troops and contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan by unsafely burning massive amounts of garbage on U.S. bases. Burn pits produced thick black smoke and toxic fumes, according to plaintiff Richard Guilmette. Six lawsuits were filed Tuesday and three more are scheduled to be filed Wednesday in state courts on behalf of current and former military personnel, private contractors and families of men who allegedly died because of exposure to the fumes from the burning garbage. Attorneys for the plaintiffs also are seeking to file a class-action suit.
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6 lawsuits filed Tuesday; 3 more are scheduled to be filed Wednesday
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Suits filed on behalf of veterans, contractors, their families
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Suits blame health problems, deaths on emissions from burn pits
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No long-term danger from smoke from Balad Air Force Base pit, military said in 2008
The suit claims @placeholder suffered a series of health problems, from severe chest pain and diarrhea, to asthma, sleep apnea and debilitating migraine headaches.