ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A federal court has ordered a Kuwait-based contractor to pay nearly $5 million in damages to the family of a U.S. military officer killed in Iraq -- a rare court decision holding a contracting company accountable for its actions in the war.



Lt. Col. Dominic Baragona was the highest-ranking soldier to die in Iraq when he was killed May 19, 2003.



Army Lt. Col. Dominic "Rocky" Baragona was just an hour away from a U.S. base in Kuwait -- ultimately headed home to the United States -- when a tractor-trailer operated by Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Company slammed into his Humvee on May 19, 2003, killing him instantly.



Baragona, a West Point graduate, was 42 years old and the highest-ranking soldier to have died in the war at the time.



His family filed a wrongful death suit against KGL. Earlier this month, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia sided with the family, holding the Kuwait company negligent in Baragona's death for failing to provide safe passage on the three-lane road where the accident occurred.



A key issue in the judge's decision was whether a U.S. court had jurisdiction over a foreign contractor and whether there was a legal basis to find it negligent. Ultimately, Judge William Duffey found that there was.



"The court enters judgment in the amount of $4,907,048 to be paid by KGL in a single lump payment," the judge wrote in his 12-page decision issued on November 5.



Baragona's father, Dominic Baragona, a former U.S. Marine, told CNN he is embarrassed his family was forced into a lawsuit to learn details surrounding his son's death. He also said the court decision is bittersweet: No amount of money will ever bring his son back, but it feels good that a court of law sided with his family.  Watch family describe Rocky's hugs, his Mustang and his character »



"You feel good for the Rock," he said of his boy. "We're going to make KGL sweat it a little bit. I mean they're going to remember Rocky's name."



Baragona's sister, Pam, added, "Even in his death, he's still handing out more messages -- very quietly, in Rocky's way."



CNN sought comment from KGL for this story, but got no response. The law firm Crowell & Moring, which has represented KGL in the past, declined comment.



KGL has received millions of dollars in U.S.-government contracts. On its Web site, the company says it "performs multiple operations such as providing of vehicles and equipments to customers," including the U.S. Army and coalition forces. It also boasts of having more than $1 billion in market capitalization.



CNN legal analyst Jeffery Toobin said the court decision theoretically "does open the door to more lawsuits" against contractors, but that the Baragona family is a long way from ever seeing the money.



"It is always very hard to collect judgments against foreign companies and, when you overlay the chaos of Iraq, it makes it extremely difficult -- if not impossible," Toobin said.



The court decision comes at a time when Congress has been closely scrutinizing contractors and seeking ways to hold the companies accountable for their actions in war zones.



The Baragonas say their suit was never about money. They would like to see changes made in the contracting business, most importantly to have third-party investigations carried out when something goes wrong and to keep everyone abreast during that reporting process.



"[Rocky] was about improving and changing systems so that we had a better Army. And that's what he believed in and that's what he dedicated his life to. If in his death, he adds more on to that -- that's what I'm fighting for," said Pam Baragona.



If the family ever gets paid, they say they want to set up a foundation to honor their son and brother to help pay for college educations of deserving students. "Rock's the little guy. We have to
Whose name are they going to remember? How much will be paid to the soldier's family? Who died in Iraq accident? When did "Rocky" die? What is Lt. Col. Dominic's nickname? When did Lt. Col. Baragona die?
Rocky's nearly $5 million Lt. Col. Dominic Baragona May 19, 2003. "Rocky" May 19, 2003.
question: Whose name are they going to remember?, answer: Rocky's | question: How much will be paid to the soldier's family?, answer: nearly $5 million | question: Who died in Iraq accident?, answer: Lt. Col. Dominic Baragona | question: When did "Rocky" die?, answer: May 19, 2003. | question: What is Lt. Col. Dominic's nickname?, answer: "Rocky" | question: When did Lt. Col. Baragona die?, answer: May 19, 2003.