The Longshore and Defense Base Act laws are complicated. An attorney that is a specialist in this area will help you figure out the benefits that you are eligible for and assist with finding doctors or medical providers if that is an issue. When the insurer does not pay voluntarily and the lawyer wins benefits for you, the attorney should be paid by the insurer not you.   Always look for attorneys that are experienced with Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation matters.

Yes. The Longshore Act and DBA require every employer (including contractors and subcontractors) either to secure insurance for the payment of workers’ compensation benefits provided under the Act or to be approved to self-insure. If a subcontractor fails to pay ordered compensation, the contractor will be liable and will be required to pay such benefits. Currently three major insurance carriers provide most of the Defense Base Act insurance coverage. They are ACE USA, American International Group (AIG), and CNA.

The initial part of your claim is handled informally with the Department of Labor serving as a mediator.  If an issue arises, your case will be set for an informal conference with a representative of the Department of Labor, the Employer/Carrier, the Claimant, and  Claimant’s attorney.  Claims that cannot be resolved informally, will be referred to  the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) for formal hearing.  This is an actual trial in front of a Judge.  Here you will be asked to testify with other possible witnesses and doctors’ medical evidence will be offered.   The Judge alone will decide your case. Decisions by an administrative law judge may be appealed to the Benefits Review Board and to the federal courts.

A written notice of the employee’s death is given to the employer within 30 days. A claim for compensation must be filed with the OWCP office having jurisdiction of your claim within one year after the date of the employee’s death.

The carrier must be given Notice of Injury within 30 days of the date of accident or  the time in which you new that an injury had occurred.  A written claim for compensation must be filed  with the Department of Labor, OWCP district office having jurisdiction of your claim within one year after the date of injury or last payment of compensation, whichever is later.  For instance, if your are receiving compensation and the Employer terminates payment of  compensation, you have one year to file a Claim from the date that you last received compensation.   The time for filing claims in certain occupational disease cases is two years.  However, as to medical benefits, typically there is no Statute of Limitations.

If you are disabled more than 3 days, contact your employer or the insurance company for payment of compensation, which must be paid 14 days after your employer has knowledge of the injury and claim for benefits. If payments are contested or withheld call  our firm at 305-373-9091.

As mentioned above, you are entitled to be treated by a physician of your own selection.  It is important that you stick with a physician that will handle your case appropriately and not be at the whim of the Employer/Carrier.  DO NOT sign any forms which waive your right to or designate a physician as your choice of physician.  Occasionally, these forms are given to you by a port doctor at the time of a drug test.  Read any forms that the Employer/Carrier or physician gives you to sign.  If you have a doubt, do not sign it and consult an attorney.

You should notify your employer immediately within thirty days once you think you have a work injury. Additional time for reporting may be given for hearing loss injuries.  Generally,  a Notice of Injury must be completed within thirty days of the date of accident.  If you need medical treatment, ask your employer to authorize treatment by a doctor of your own choice. You are entitled to choose your treating physician.  Initially, your employer or the insurance carrier may send you to a  physician for an initial examination or for a drug test.  It is important that you do not sign any forms which might designate any physician as your own choice of physician.  Furthermore, you should not agree to give a statement or a taped interview to anyone.

Yes.

• Cases involving aliens and non-U.S. residents can be settled by a lump sum for benefits for permanent disability and death. In such cases, a one-time lump sum payment may be issued by the employer/carrier representing half of the present value of future compensation as determined by the OWCP district director. Medical benefits may not be settled by this lump sum.
• Death benefits may be paid only to the surviving spouse or child or children, or if no surviving spouse or child or children, to dependent parents.

 

The LHWCA and Defense Base Act provide disability and medical benefits to covered employees injured in the course of employment and death benefits to eligible survivors of employees killed in the course of employment. Compensation for total disability is two-thirds of the employee’s average weekly earnings, up to a current maximum weekly benefit which is usually inflated annually. Compensation is also payable for partial loss of earnings or a loss of earning capacity for certain types of injuries. Impairment Benefits are also available for injuries to your upper or lower extremities.

Death benefits are paid at the rate of one-half of the employee’s average weekly earnings to a surviving spouse or one child, or two-thirds of average weekly earnings for two or more eligible survivors up to the current maximum rate of $1,047.16 per week. The Defense Base Act also incorporates the LHWCA’s provision for payment of reasonable funeral expenses.

Permanent total disability and death benefits may be payable for life, and are subject to annual cost of living adjustments. The LHWCA minimum benefits rate, however, does not apply to DBA claims.

After an injury is at maximum medical improvement the worker is entitled to ongoing permanent or partial benefits or a schedule award for the body part or hearing loss as determined by the Act. These determinations can be complex and a competent attorney must advise you on this aspect.

The injured employee is also entitled to medical treatment by a physician of his/her choice, as the injury may require.

Longshore or Defense Base Act claims should be filed in the Longshore District Office responsible for the geographic area where the injured employee resides or the injury or death occurred in the case of U.S. Longshore cases.

The U. S. Department of Labor, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation (DLHWC), administers the DBA through eleven district offices located throughout the United States. A federal law judge hears claims that cannot be resolved in a hearing intended to be near the claimant’s place of residence in the U.S.

The Defense Base Act covers civilian workers who:

• Work for private employers on U.S. military bases or on any lands used by the U.S. for military purposes outside of the United States
• Work on public work contracts with any U.S. government agency, including construction and service contracts in connection with national defense or with war activities outside the United States
• Work on contracts approved and funded by the U.S. under the Foreign Assistance Act, which among other things provides for cash sale of military equipment, materials, and services to its allies, if the contract is performed outside of the United States
• Work for American employers providing welfare or similar services outside the United States for the benefit of the Armed Services, e.g. the United Service Organizations (USO)

If any one of the above criteria is met, all employees engaged in such employment, regardless of nationality are covered under the Act.

The DBA is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) and provides compensation and medical benefits to employees and death benefits to eligible survivors of civilian employees of U.S. government contractors who perform work overseas. The DBA generally follows the provisions of the LHWCA.

The LHWCA covers work injuries that occur in maritime work on navigable waters of the United States or in adjoining waterfront areas close to harbors, rivers, or other waters. Employees covered by this Act work in maritime work and include shipbuilders, longshoremen, harbor workers, barge operators, dock repair workers, and any workers performing covered work in a marine terminal. Other civilian workers on military bases inside and outside the U.S. or assisting the U.S. military operations abroad may also be covered by Longshore Act related federal statutes.