Nearly 800,000 civilians were employed by the Department of Defense as of last year. To put that into perspective, there are roughly 1.3 million active-duty personnel in the US armed forces.
Since these civilians are working for the military, the military is responsible for keeping them safe. To this end, several measures and laws have been put into place, one of which is known as the Defense Base Act, which is essentially Workers’ Compensation for civilians working overseas.
However, getting DBA compensation isn’t always as easy as it should be. Sometimes, a Defense Base Act Lawyer is needed to get what you’re owed. We’ll discuss some reasons to hire a DBA lawyer in this article.
1. Injured on Base
As with any other job, injuries can happen while working for the government or military. However, there is one key difference between DBA claims and Workers’ Compensation claims.
For a Workers’ Compensation claim to be successful, the claimant must prove that their employer is somehow at fault. The Defense Base Act has no such requirement. Being injured on the base or facility where you work is enough to qualify, even if you weren’t working at the time of the injury.
The DBA also covers injuries of various kinds, including hearing loss and PTSD.
2. You Need Help With Your Case
Whether you decide to pursue a DBA case or not, you should at least know what you’re getting into, and a Defense Base Act Attorney can help you navigate the ins and outs of DBA claims.
If you do decide to pursue compensation citing the Defense Base Act, it’s best to look for a DBA lawyer. While it’s not uncommon to hear cases of people representing themselves, this doesn’t usually end well.
Lawyers are professionals who have studied to understand the law, court procedure, and how to best argue a case.
3. If a Third Party is Involved
When we think of lawsuits, there’s a tendency to think of the stereotypical courtroom drama setup, with one plaintiff, one defendant, and a jury. While that does ring true for some of them, most court cases look nothing like that.
For instance, there’s often more than one defendant in a trial, and DBA cases can be a prime example of this. If an injury occurs on a military base or government property, but somebody other than you or the government/military is at fault, you have grounds to sue multiple parties.
You can sue the government entity because the DBA states that they’re liable for any injuries that happen in their facility. Meanwhile, you can also sue the person who actually caused the injury because they’re also at fault. In legal terms, this kind of case is known as a joinder.
When to Hire a Defense Base Act Lawyer
If you’re injured while working under contract on a military or government property, you might want to call a Defense Base Act Lawyer. We’ve discussed what a DBA lawyer is and what kind of cases they take in this article, but there’s always more to learn.
You can find more information about the DBA on our site. We encourage you to contact us if you’re looking for a DBA lawyer.