When you suffer an injury while working as a federal contractor outside of the US, you should seek services of a defense base act lawyer. The lawyer will help you get the compensation you need after filing for a worker’s compensation claim.
As a federal worker, you may have questions about the DBA and what benefits are rewarded to you in the event of a disability, injury or death.
Workers typically have the same questions when hiring a defense base act attorney.
Here are 5 questions you should always ask a Defense Base Act attorney.
1. Do They Have a Practicing License?
Before you engage in any business with your DBA lawyer, it’s important to know whether they are licensed to practice. This will ensure you work with a genuine attorney. Do your due diligence on your prospective attorney.
Majority of legal professional bodies have names of all licensed lawyers online. You may also visit government registries and website and get all the information about the credibility of the attorney.
2. What is their Experience?
You should ask this question outrightly to help you know if they are the right fit for your case. Ask the lawyer how many similar cases they have handled and their outcome.
From their experience, they should guide you on how to file a claim when it should be filed, what benefits to claim, and generally all aspects of ensuring you get your compensation.
Hire a seasoned attorney who knows how the DBA insurance companies depend on victims making mistakes so as not to offer the required compensation.
3. How Much Does the Defense Base Act Attorney Charge?
DBA lawyers should not charge you for your case. It’s against the law for an attorney to seek payment to represent you for a DBA case. All attorney fees must be approved by a judge or department of labor.
They are also not paid with a contingency fee, rather they are paid separately by the DBA insurance company for the work they put into your case.
4. When Do You File A Claim?
You should file within one year of the date of your injury. However, because of medical bills, you may want to file within the shortest time possible from 2 days after the injury.
5. What Is My DBA Case Worth?
You may ask how much money you will get from the DBA case or the value of your case. You should also ask how much you should settle for in your defense base act case. However, your lawyer is likely not to give an outright answer to these questions on first meeting.
Hire Your DBA Lawyer
Your decision to hire your defense base act attorney will be primarily based on the eventuality of the case. You should hire an attorney based on merits and one that proves that they are capable of making a case and winning it. Ensure they have insurance from the onset of your interaction
Sometimes you may not know if you are hiring the right lawyer for your case. Just like any interview, you want to be represented by the best so you must vet your lawyer
Read more on how to get the right attorney services on our blog.