Maritime Injury Lawyer Blog

Defense Base Workers - Civilian Contractor families are suffering in a manner very similar to families of our uniformed soldiers. A former Marine turned civilian contractor returned from Iraq in 2006 and killed himself. Not only has the family lost a husband and father, but they have had to fight with KBR and AIG insurance company to obtain Defense Base Act workers' compensation death benefits. Very little attention has been given to the mental health of thousands of contractors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The families of civilian contractors who have committed suicide have been slogging through the Defense Base Act trying to get death benefits. Injured workers frequently have to battle insurance carriers for the most basic medical coverage. The military allows families to receive benefits when a soldier's suicide is linked to depression caused by battlefield trauma. Contractor's families do not enjoy similar support and are frequently required to fight it out in court to obtain the benefits they deserve. If you or a loved one worked as a Defense Base Act civilian contractor and have suffered a physical or psychological injury, please feel free to contact Steven Schletker, (800) 254-7487 for a free consultation.