Being a longshoreman is far from easy work. It can often be dangerous as well. If you get injured on the job, what do you do? How can you bring in a livable wage if you can’t do your required tasks? The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act provides the aid you need if you’re in this situation. There are about half a million longshoremen and harbor workers who get injured or contract diseases from working on United States navigable waters or adjoining areas.

As long as it takes you to regain your health, the Longshore Act will take care of your wages so you don’t have to worry about that. They will replace your pay up to $1,295.20 per week. That’s more than enough to get by nd support your family while you recuperate. You just have to make sure you file your claim on time and have the right lawyer to represent you. But what about those workers that are outside of the United States?

For all other areas, there is the Defense Base Act. Like the Longshore and harbor workers compensation act, this protects workers who are injured or fall ill on the job. It’s actually an extension of the federal workers’ compensation program and it covers longshore and harbor workers. The base requirement is simply to tell your immediate supervisor as soon as it happens. In addition to longshore and harbor workers, the Defense Base Act covers any civilian working outside of the United States either on a military base, under contract with the government, or for national defense.

If this applies to you, then your best course of action will be to find a Defense Base Act attorney, even if it’s for maritime claims. It’s important to handle these things right away to ensure proper protection. If it means paying money for you to not work, there’s always going to be opposition. Longshore Act and Defense base act attorneys deal with this kind of conflict every day, so it’s worth it to hire one. You work hard and you deserve to be awarded accordingly.