A Brief Defense Base Act Benefits Summary As we look forward to another year, we wanted to provide our clients a quick summary of the Defense Base Act and the benefits available under the Act if they are injured. Like many of our other newsletters, we use examples in this summary that are only meant to show how claims and …
The Need for Honest Assessment of PTSD in Military Contractors
Private military contractors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder at up to twice the rate of regular military personnel, according to a RAND Corporation study. Moreover, many of these individuals are not getting the treatment they need and deserve. The study, which was conducted in 2012, also found that the number of deployed military contractors often …
Continuing Dangers: Overseas Contractors Kidnapped in Iraq
Four foreign contractors – three Americans and an Iraqi translator – were kidnapped on the south side of Baghdad, according to Iraqi security sources. The U.S. State Department confirmed the abduction of “several” contractors and insisted that in-country officials were “working with the full co-operation of the Iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individuals.” Until recently, the Iraqi capital …
Burn Pit Dangers Continue in Iraq
Even though such operations often expose workers to toxic smoke and fumes and cause serious illness, the DoD still uses burn pits for most waste disposal. In the early 2000s, when operations began in Afghanistan and Iraq, unregulated burn pits dotted the area and worker complaints about health conditions were summarily dismissed. The landscape changed in 2009, when in response …
February 2016 Newsletter
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. Community Involvement The firm continues to invest in the local and legal community. Liza E. Lima, Esq. recently joined the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (“WISTA”). WISTA is an …