The Defense Base Act is an extension of the federal workers' compensation program that covers longshoremen and harbor workers, the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act 33 U.S.C. §§ 901–950. The DBA covers persons employed at United States defense bases overseas.

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The Defense Base Act affords compensation benefits and medical benefits to those engaged in employment, such as:

• Civilian contractors working in England, South Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait under a U.S. government contract.

• Any military, air, or naval base acquired by the United States.

• Upon land occupied or used by the government for military or naval purposes in any territory or possession outside the continental United States.

• Any public work in any territory or possession outside the continental United States if the employee is engaged under the contract of a contractor with the United States.

 

WERE YOU HURT WHILE DEPLOYED AS A CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR?

The Defense Base Act is a Federal law that dates back to World War II. It currently provides significant and valuable protection to civilian contractors working for an American contractor overseas or in occupied territories. This is a form of worker's compensation, so there does not have to be a liability component to the case. In other words, you don't have to prove that somebody else was at fault for the accident.

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