Are you a civilian defense contractor or interpreter who has been inflicted with a debilitating injury or PTSD during or after your time abroad? Federal law entitles you to workers’ compensation under the Defense Base Act.
If life-changing injuries have had an impact on your health or livelihood, you and your family have a right to support. This guide will walk you through how you can benefit from filing a DBA claim, and how to do so.
Understanding the DBA (Defense Base Act)
The Defense Base Act was passed in 1941 to cover overseas civilian workers on government contracts who were injured or killed during their employment. Additionally, even if the injury or death occurs outside of assigned duties/work hours, it may be covered under some circumstances.
Potential Forms of Workers’ Compensation Available to You:
- Payment assistance with medical treatment and services
- Compensation for income loss
- Compensation for partial or permanent disability
- Compensation to surviving family
You Are Eligible for Assistance If You Are/Were:
- A civilian contractor under a U.S. Government contract in one of the following locations:
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- United Arab Emirates
- Kuwait
- Africa
- South Korea
- Anywhere else in the world
- Stationed at any time on land occupied by the U.S. Government used for military purposes anywhere outside of the territory of the United States
Once you have confirmed your eligibility, your first course of action should be to seek medical attention immediately, regardless of the severity of the incident. Having an official record of the injuries sustained, treatment provided, and medical costs accrued will be critical to your claim.
How To File a DBA Claim
1. Obtain Legal Support
Once you have recovered from any injuries sustained and collected all relevant records pertaining to them, your next step will be hiring a lawyer. Filing a DBA claim can be very complicated, and making sure that forms are completed correctly will prevent you from difficulties down the line. The fewer issues that arise, the quicker you will receive your compensation.
2. File a LS-201 Form
Like an insurance claim on any workers’ compensations matter, you must first notify your workplace. To initiate a DBA case, you will have to file an LS-201 form, which is an official notice of an employee’s injury or death.
The law (and your eligibility for a claim), requires that you complete this form. Your attorney will be able to assist you with this.
3. Complete Remaining Forms
After you give official notice of your injury, you will have to begin filing the rest of the documentation required to receive assistance. All of these can be accessed via the Department of Labor forms page.
This can become a complicated process, and only becomes more so if forms are not completed correctly. For this reason, having a legal professional experienced in DBA workers’ compensation on your side is crucial to receiving the help you need.
Accept Only the Best
Barnes Law is one of the nation’s top Defense Base Act firms, serving clients worldwide. If you or a loved one were injured or killed working as a defense contractor or interpreter anywhere in the world, you need the best on your side.
Contact Barnes Law Firm today to schedule a consultation today. Our team of elite attorneys will fight for you around the clock to get you the assistance you deserve.