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How to Prepare for a Defense Base Act Deposition

Date30 Jun 2023

Following the filing of a Defense Base Act (DBA) claim for qualifying injuries sustained, claimants will be scheduled to have their deposition taken. It is natural to have questions about the process, especially as having your deposition taken is not a common...

What is the Defense Base Act (DBA)?

Date22 Jun 2023

The United States began ramping up the construction of new and existing military bases around the world in the early 1940s as the potential for war with Japan and Germany loomed large. To ensure that the American civilians working overseas to construct...

What is Covered Under the Defense Base Act?

Date20 Jun 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) is a federal law protecting civilian employees who work overseas in support of the American military. The law requires federal contractors to maintain DBA insurance coverage in order to supply workers’ compensation should a contractor get injured...

Understanding a Lump Sum DBA Settlement Payment

Date13 Jun 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) is an extension of the 1941 U.S. Worker’s Compensation Program that was enacted to provide coverage for employees working outside of the U.S. for U.S. employers. The policy allows employees to receive compensation while working at American...

Understanding Why Some DBA Claims Are Denied

Date31 May 2023

The 1941 U.S. Workers’ Compensation Program was established in 1916 to administer claims under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. Benefits are available under this Act to more than three million federal employees, Peace Corps members, and Americorps members. The Defense Base Act...

Understanding Common Injuries Under the DBA

Date23 May 2023

Over the life of the Defense Base Act (DBA), some injuries have emerged as more common than others. These injuries range from intuitive ones, such as machinery injuries on the job, to less visible suffering, such as psychological or emotional injuries. Regardless...

How to Approach Filing a DBA Claim

Date21 May 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) was enacted on August 16th, 1941. The DBA serves as an extension to the federal workers’ compensation program that protects longshoremen and harbor workers. The DBA is administered by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) and...

Avoiding Lowball DBA Settlements

Date10 May 2023

Defense Base Act (DBA) insurance companies typically pay military contractors and other DBA-qualified individuals while they are out of work at a very high rate. This is because private military contractors often find themselves working in deadly zones of hostility, such as...

Who Is Eligible For Benefits Under The Defense Base Act?

Date30 Apr 2023

The Defense Base Act is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA). The LHWCA provides workers’ compensation benefits to qualifying maritime workers and longshoremen and can provide death benefits to their surviving family members. Congress passed the DBA...

Maximizing Your Settlement Amount Under the Defense Base Act

Date24 Apr 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) is an extension of the 1941 U.S. Worker’s Compensation Program that was enacted to provide coverage for employees working outside of the U.S. for American employers. The policy allows employees to receive compensation while working at U.S....

Burn Pit Claims Under the Defense Base Act

Date15 Apr 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) was created to offset the dangers associated with contractors and subcontractors deployed overseas. The DBA provides contractors and subcontractors who are injured while working overseas with health insurance and the opportunity to receive a disability rating. U.S....

Calculating DBA Settlement Amounts

Date11 Apr 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) was created to offset the dangers associated with contractors and subcontractors deployed overseas. For contractors and subcontractors who are injured while working overseas, the DBA provides them with health insurance and the opportunity to receive a disability...

Benefits Available Under the Defense Base Act

Date29 Mar 2023

The benefits of DBA coverage are wide-ranging. It is important to take advantage of all the options available through the insurance program. Some of the most common and helpful benefits include, but are not limited to: Physician of Choice. The DBA permits...

Defense Base Act (DBA) cases and claims frequently result in settlements. The DBA claims process is often drawn out and confusing, and going through such a case is a stressful and complicated process. In many cases, insurance companies rely on delaying tactics...

COVID-19 Claims under the Defense Base Act

Date21 Feb 2023

Civilian employees working outside the United States on a U.S. military base or under a contract with the U.S. government for public works have faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of workers contracted COVID-19 and lost income and benefits because...

What Is the Difference Between Workers’ Compensation and the Defense Base Act?

Date15 Feb 2023

Federal and state workers’ compensation programs provide coverage to employees who have sustained work-related injuries or illnesses. Defense Base Act coverage is a type of workers’ compensation coverage typically required for all public works contracts performed overseas unless the Secretary of the...

Calculating Benefits under the Defense Base Act

Date08 Feb 2023

Those who worked overseas as a defense or civilian contractor for the United States government or under a government contract were likely exposed to hazards that many servicemembers encounter. However, unlike servicemembers, civilian contractors do not have access to VA disability benefits...

Which Employers Must Have DBA Insurance?

Date31 Jan 2023

The main goal of the Defense Base Act (DBA) is to cover qualifying workers on military bases outside of the United States. Its primary purpose is to provide compensation for injuries, disabilities, or death to persons employed under a contract with the...

“Costs of War” Project Reveals Government Contractors Did Not Receive Compensation for Injuries

Date26 Jan 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) provides workers’ compensation benefits to civilian employees working abroad on U.S. military bases or under a U.S. government contract for national defense. Under the Act, qualifying employers must acquire DBA coverage for their foreign national employees. The...

What Happens if I am Injured While Working Overseas?

Date21 Jan 2023

There are various benefits of working as a civilian contractor overseas for the United States government, such as high compensation, good benefits, and marketability. However, like any other job, especially one overseas in potentially volatile areas, it brings additional challenges and potential...

How to Win a DBA Claim

Date18 Dec 2022

Winning a Defense Base Act (DBA) claim requires a comprehensive understanding of the substantive, procedural, and evidentiary rules that govern the DBA claims process. The Defense Base Act (DBA) is an offshoot of the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. Together these...

Defense Base Act Appeals

Date11 Dec 2022

The time following an overseas injury can be stressful for workers and their loved ones. Although the Defense Base Act (DBA) provides workers’ compensation benefits to qualifying overseas military and U.S. government contractors, these claims are rarely straightforward. Employers and insurance companies...

What to Do After a Disputed DBA Claim

Date30 Nov 2022

Civilian contractors working for the U.S. government or on a military base have certain workers’ compensation protections under the Defense Base Act (DBA). While some exceptions exist, these benefits apply to citizens and foreign workers. However, these protections are not guaranteed, and...

Do You Need to Be a U.S. Citizen to Qualify for DBA Benefits?

Date25 Nov 2022

The United States military maintains bases, embassies, and other installations in many parts of the world. In addition to U.S. military personnel and U.S. civilian contractors, these bases also employ foreign workers. According to the Department of Labor (DOL), qualifying employers must...

What to Do if an Employer Does Not Have DBA Insurance

Date15 Nov 2022

The Defense Base Act (DBA) and Longshore Act require every employer to obtain workers’ compensation benefits provided under the Act or be permissibly self-insured. The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) is responsible for authorizing insurance carriers and self-insurance of employers. Employers...

Defense Base Act Coverage and Benefits

Date08 Nov 2022

The Defense Base Act (DBA) is a form of workers’ compensation that applies to civilian employees working outside of the United States on a U.S. military base or as a contractor with the U.S. government. DBA insurance provides compensation for injury, disability,...

Open-Air Burn Pit Injuries

Date27 Oct 2022

During the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom era, the United States military operated various large burn pits to dispose of human and industrial waste at military bases. While most of the pits were designed for temporary military installations, the fumes...

What Happens After DBA Settlement Approval

Date21 Oct 2022

Pursuing compensation under the Defense Base Act (DBA) can be a daunting and arduous process. These claims require a comprehensive understanding of complex procedural and substantive laws. Additionally, DBA claimants are often faced with difficult decisions regarding the best avenue for prompt...

Filing a Defense Base Act Claim

Date12 Oct 2022

The Defense Base Act (DBA) is a federal workers’ compensation program for U.S. government contractors working overseas. It is critical that overseas contractors understand the Act, as courts have clarified that the DBA is the sole remedy for workers falling within the...

Top 5 Most Common DBA Workplace Accident Claims

Date20 Sep 2022

The Defense Base Act (DBA) is a federal workers’ compensation law requiring all U.S. government contractors and subcontractors to obtain workers’ compensation benefits for their employees abroad. The DBA provides various benefits to eligible employees who suffer injuries or fatalities during the...

Do Companies Need DBA Insurance?

Date20 Sep 2022

The Defense Base Act (DBA) provides workers’ compensation benefits for civilian contractor employees working under government contracts outside the United States. DBA insurance provides a solution for US Government contractors who send employees and sub-contractors overseas. Employers who do not secure this...

Is There a Need for US Civilian Contractors in Ukraine?

Date31 Aug 2022

Is There a Need for US Civilian Contractors in Ukraine? The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought great suffering to the people of that land and those in other parts of the world. The calls for increased military spending may be a...

DBA Claims for Overuse Injuries

Date24 Aug 2022

DBA Claims for Overuse Injuries Those suffering from overuse injuries because of their occupation as a civilian employee working under contract with the U.S. government or outside the United States on U.S. military bases may be eligible for benefits under the Defense...

Securing Defense Base Act Benefits Quickly

Date17 Aug 2022

The Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP), in conjunction with the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation (DLHWC), is responsible for reviewing and administering medical and disability claims for civilian employees injured overseas while working on a U.S. military base...

What Is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Date18 Jul 2022

Post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) is not a new diagnosis, however, the condition has only really begun to be understood by the medical community over the past few decades. Previously, PTSD was known as “shell shock,” however, in 1980, the condition was first...

Working in a Hostile Enemy Zone and PTSD

Date30 Jun 2022

Post-traumatic stress disorder (“PTSD”) is a complex and potentially chronic condition that often occurs as a result of exposure to a traumatic event. PTSD can interfere with social and personal functioning, and as such, it is critical to identify risk factors that...

Can You Qualify for DBA Benefits for a PTSD Diagnosis?

Date26 Jun 2022

Over the past two decades, private contractors have been deployed worldwide. In addition to supporting foreign governments, many contractors support U.S. and allied forces, non-governmental organizations, and private businesses. These contractors provide maintenance, transportation, logistical support, communications, and construction services. At one...

Importance of the Defense Base Act for Private Military Contractors

Date20 Jun 2022

Private security contractors typically work as independent contractors for “private military companies” (“PMCs”). The Defense Base Act (“DBA”) provides significant benefits to injured contractors and death benefits to their qualifying survivors. However, following the death of four military contractors in Fallujah, many...

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