ARE YOU SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE FACTS? DO YOU HAVE PROPER LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE?

Working as a civilian contractor alongside US Armed Forces has many privileges one of which is Defense Base Act coverage, regardless of nationality and where you are located. However, it is the tendency of insurance companies to try to deny medical care and compensation to affected civilian contractors.

In order to be on the safe side, in case anything happens to you while working overseas, here are some tips and information that might be useful to you.

Ask your employer about your DBA coverage

Before flying to Afghanistan, Iraq or any other dangerous zone, ask your employer about your Defense Base Act insurance coverage. Make sure you know which company is covering your DBA. In many cases it could be AIG, Broadspire, Zurich or another big insurance company.

Ask your other colleagues if they know about their DBA Insurance

Talk to your colleagues or roommates who might be living with you on the same military base or camp and see if they understand DBA. You can watch these videos to get a world of information about DBA and get your questions answered.

Choose your treating doctor

When filling the forms, chose your own treating doctor in case of injury or illness. If you work in a dangerous country, it is wise to select different doctors such as orthopedist, surgeon, neurologist and traumatologist.

What if something happens

Before anything happens, you need to be prepared. Gather facts, witnesses, medical documents and your employer’s report of incident. Make sure your employer reports your injury to Department of Labor on time.

What next

If your injury is not very serious and you can talk and understand what is going on, you may be able to make decisions about which doctor to treat you or which hospital to go or who should be notified about incident that happened to you. There are cases that employee’s injuries are severe or he stays unconscious for a while. This is the time your preparation proves to be handy. If you have a lawyer listed in your next of kin forms, then this lawyer will be notified. He will follow up your medical treatment and eventually make sure you are taken care of properly in terms of compensation.

What does it cost me to have a lawyer?

Under Defense Base Act, injured employees who hire lawyers do not have to pay any fees. The lawyer does not demand a certain percentage of the settlement amount. The lawyers’ fees under DBA are paid by the DBA insurance company which covers your employer.

Where to find a good DBA lawyer?

There are a lot of good DBA lawyers in the United States. Choose a lawyer with a good record and international experience who has taken different DBA cases. The lawyer does not have to be from your city or State. You can fill out the forms and send through email and communicate through phone.

Don’t Fight Alone: You Don’t Have To

We have a 24 hour line 800 393 2999 available for you to call us at any time. Alternatively, you can visit our site or find us at most social media platforms.

Alternatively, you can use the form below to contact us.

If you are injured on duty and even before you are deployed overseas, you can always contact Garfinkel Schwartz Law Firm and send us your questions. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Please call our 24/7 number (+1) 800 393 2999 or use the following form to get in touch with us.