Defense Base Act Claims
The Defense Base Act is a federal law that protects employees of private contractors who are working in U.S. combat zones or on U.S. bases outside the United States. If you have physical or psychological injuries due to your employment overseas for a federal contractor, including injuries that affect your ability to work, or if you have a spouse or parent who died as a result of working for a U.S. government contractor overseas, you may be entitled to benefits. Bosson Legal Group can help ensure that your rights are protected and you receive appropriate compensation.
The Defense Base Act
Making Claims Under the Defense Base Act
The Defense Base Act (DBA) is a federal workers’ compensation and death benefits law (42 U.S.C. §§ 1651-54) that protects primarily employees of U.S. government contractors who are working in U.S. combat zones or on U.S. bases outside the United States.[1] The DBA requires such contractors to purchase DBA workers compensation insurance for their employees, and the United States Department of Labor oversees the administration of DBA benefits.
If you have physical or psychological injuries due to your employment overseas for a federal contractor, you may be entitled to medical benefits; and if your injury affects your ability to work, you may also be entitled to workers’ compensation.
If you have a spouse or parent who died as a result of working for a U.S. government contractor overseas, you may be entitled to benefits.
Most people working in these combat zones for U.S. contractors are not from the U.S. but are from places like Uganda, India, Macedonia, and Kosovo. So BLG attorney John Vinci has worked with clients from not only here in the United States, but also from places like India, South Africa, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. These injured workers were employed by companies like KBR, Fluor, DynCorp, Ecolog, Academi (formerly Blackwater), Mission Essential Personnel, and AECOM/ACFirst.
It’s not unusual for these companies to require their employees to work 12 hours a day, 7 days per week, for 3-4 months at a time. With this workload, many employees develop physical injuries (back and neck injuries seem to be common), and, with continued attacks on U.S. bases, many also develop psychological injuries such as PTSD.
Even if the DBA insurance carrier is paying you now for an injury you have received, you should still retain an attorney to make sure your rights are protected.
And you should act now, since there are time limits that may affect your ability to claim compensation if you do not act quickly.
[1] The scope of the Defense Base Act is broader than this definition but also has some exceptions. Please contact us to find out if it applies to your specific circumstances.
Committed to Excellence
Our Defense Base Act Claims Team
John Vinci, Esq.
Principal
Courtney McIntyre, Esq.
Of Counsel
Mark Wohlschlegel II, Esq.
Associate
Khalid Framarz Hamidi
Foreign Legal Consultant
Stay Informed
Latest Defense Base Act Insights
Contact Us
Let’s Discuss Your Matter
If you, a spouse, or a parent have been injured while working for a U.S. government contractor overseas, contact us to discuss your legal remedies.