If you have been injured while working on a military base overseas, you are entitled to compensation under the defense base act.
In order to get your compensation in a timely manner, it is essential that you follow the correct steps. These steps are not hard, but they must be followed carefully to avoid having to start the process over and over again.
Here is a look at the steps defense contractors need to take to file a claim.
1. Create a Paper Trail From the Start
It is good to inform your supervisor and seek medical care. Inform your supervisor in writing even if you make a call. This helps to create a paper trail from the start.
Resist any urge to delay medical treatment. This is probably the most important thing to do in order to make filing a dba claim go smoothly. If you attempt to seek medical attention later the insurance company may say that you waited in order to make the injury worse to get a better compensation package.
2. Get Copies of Everything
One of the most important steps in the entire process is to get everything down on paper. Make sure that you get medical records as well as incident reports. If you get correspondences about your claim ensure that you keep those safe as well.
You should also keep wage records. If you are paid at your job based on whether you clocked in or not make sure that you have salary stubs that prove loss of income.
3. Check In On Your Witnesses
If there were people around when you got injured they will be very useful to you, so make sure that you gather all their testimonies together. These will help strengthen your claim.
Ask your witnesses to write a written report in their own words since that will be great for enhancing the legitimacy of your claim.
4. Hire a Defense Contractor Lawyer
There is no need for you to go this alone. You can hire a defense base act attorney to help you win your case. When you hire a lawyer you no longer need to worry about filing the paperwork yourself.
These cases can get very tricky and the best way to ensure that you file the paperwork correctly the first time is to get someone who is experienced in dealing with these claims.
Time to File
For defense contractors who are making a claim, the process can be a bit tedious. However, if you start creating a paper trail from early you will have lots of proof in order to get compensation for your injuries.
Keep copies of your messages to your supervisors about your injuries as well as your medical reports. Collect reports from witnesses and document any loss of wages that may have happened while you are unable to work.
You should hire an experienced defense base act attorney to help you through the entire process. There is a lot of paperwork to deal with, hiring someone who is trained and experienced in this area can save you a lot of time.
If you would like legal representation, please do not hesitate to contact us.