DBA Newsletter – May 2018

Welcome to the DBA newsletter, prepared by Barnett, Lerner, Karsen & Frankel, P.A. We hope this will help you learn more about the Defense Base Act and your legal rights. A spanish language version is at the end of this newsletter. Una versión en lengua española al final de este boletín. CLICK HERE FOR SPANISH Different Cases, Different Values Why …

Proposed Legislation Would Protect Burn Pit Victims

Proposed Legislation Would Protect Burn Pit Victims

Largely in response to an administrative law judge’s landmark decision, a Florida lawmaker plans to introduce a bill forcing the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover burn pit injuries sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) plans to present a bill to the House Veterans Affairs Committee that would require the VA to presume that burn pits in …

Japan Says Private Military Contractors are Government Employees

Japan Says Private Military Contractors are Government Employees

A member of the Foreign Ministry told that country’s Homeland Security Committee that the private military contractors accused in a 2016 murder are U.S. government “employees” under the terms of the 1952 Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The U.S. government has refused to pay damages to the victim’s survivors, claiming that the perpetrators were private contractors instead of regular …

Private Contractors and Security Clearances

Private Contractors and Security Clearances

Recent controversy regarding Afghanistan contractor pilots and their lack of security clearances will probably change some employer attitudes in this area. Read on to find out how these changes may affect you and your family. According to an Inspector General’s report, the military often uses DynCorp helicopters to ferry official visitors between Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport and points in …

Six Occupational Diseases That Often Strike Overseas Contractors

Six Occupational Diseases That Often Strike Overseas Contractors

Military contractors in places like Iraq continue to face hazards long after a particular region has been pacified. As rebuilding and reconstruction efforts commence, the risk of injury actually increases. Not only to these individuals face dangers from potential suicide bombers and gangs of militants, they also must deal with the risk of occupational diseases. These injuries arise over the …