Defense Base Act (DBA) Statistics and Trends

Date22 Aug 2023

The Defense Base Act (DBA) is an insurance program that serves to cover overseas employees working for American employers. This includes work on military bases, diplomacy, civilians doing federal military contracting, and other national defense work. The DBA is an extension of the 1941 U.S. Worker’s Compensation Program, allowing all service contracts and full-time employees at American defense bases throughout the world to receive compensation for injuries.

Defense Base Act Statistics and Trends

The United States Department of Labor maintains Defense Base Act Case Summary Reports through the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). The reports show that DBA fiscal year 2018 reports filed by qualifying employers contained 3,853 cases involving no lost time, 448 cases involving lost time of three days or less, 2,320 cases involving four days or more of lost time, and 73 cases of death, totaling 6,694 cases in all.

Service Employees International, Inc. led all employers in total cases with 912. Of those, 839 involved no lost time, 37 involved lost time of three days or less, and 35 cases involved lost time of four days or more. The three employers with the highest case totals after Service Employees International were DynCorp International, with a total of 474 cases, Fluor Federal Global Projects, with a total of 354 cases, and L-3 Communications/Vertex Aerospace, with a total of 331 cases.

On the other hand, the insurance carrier with the most cases was the Insurance Co. of The State of Penn., which had a total of 2,147 cases. Of those cases, 1,413 involved no lost time, 104 involved lost time of three days or less, 606 involved lost time of four days or more, and 24 cases involved deaths. The Insurance Co. of The State of Penn., was closely followed by Allied World National Assurance Company, with a total of 2,107 DBA cases. Of those cases, 1,334 involved no lost time, 142 involved lost time of three days or less, 613 involved lost time of four days or more, and 18 cases involved deaths.

In terms of nations with the most DBA cases, Afghanistan had by far the most, with 2,063 total cases. Of those DBA cases, 1,107 involved no lost time, 113 involved lost time of three days or less, 816 involved lost time of four days or more, and 27 cases involved deaths. The three nations with the highest case totals after Afghanistan were Iraq, with a total of 1,857 cases, Kuwait, with a total of 465 cases, and the Marshall Islands with a total of 167 cases.

Do You Need Help with Your Defense Base Act Claim?

If you or someone you love has or is considering filing a Defense Base Act claim, let the attorneys at Friedman Rodman & Frank fight to help you recover the damages you deserve. Expenses and injuries sustained on the job can quickly become overwhelming, and having an experienced roster of DBA attorneys by your side can make a world of difference in the compensation you receive. Our experienced attorneys have successfully represented injured workers at every stage of their claims, ensuring that they obtain the compensation that they deserve. With our team, you can have faith that your claim is being pursued properly. If you have questions about your case, call us today at 877-627-5116 and schedule a free and no-obligation initial consultation with an experienced DBA lawyer.