Roger Levy and Miranda Chiu - - The Defense Base Act System Is Broken: Is the Fox Watching the DBA Hen House? I Defense Base Act and United States Department of Labor I Why do DBA insurance companies get away with routinely denying legitimate DBA claims? Why do seriously injured workers have to wait years to get the medical treatment the DBA allows?

Roger Levy and Miranda Chiu: Is the Fox Watching the Defense Base Act Hen House?

Defense Base Act Lawyer Straight Talk

"Why doesn't the Department of Labor do it's job? Why doesn't the United States Department of Labor stand up to the Defense Base Act insurance companies that routinely deny legitimate claims and make seriously injured DBA workers wait years to get vital medical treatment?" Defense Base Act Lawyer Bill Turley

Defense Base Act Lawyer I Defense Base Act Attorney - Bill Turley

Let me tell you about Roger Levy and Miranda Chiu

Roger Levy is a partner in the San Francisco based law firm Laughlin, Falbo, Levy and Moresi. In a nutshell, these lawyers do the bidding of Defense Base Act insurance companies. The lawyers at Laughlin, Falbo, Levy and Moresi are paid big bucks to deny legitimate DBA claims. They routinely use delay tactics to make seriously injured DBA workers wait years to get needed medical treatment and weekly compensation benefits. How do I know? I go up against their lawyers every day. In essence, these Lawyers and the DBA insurance compaies they represent take advantage of the DBA system. Instead of paying legitimate claims, these lawyers try and out-wait DBA claimants.

The DBA system is seriously broken. Instead of paying claims and investigating them later, the common practice is for DBA insurance company's to deny claims first and then make Claimants wait years and years to get the DBA benefits they deserve. Lawyers like Roger Levy and his firm get paid big bucks to destroy good families.


How can this happen?

You might ask yourself, how can this be? How can the Longshore/ DBA system be so seriously broken? Why do legitimate injuries get routinely denied? Why do good workers have to wait years to get the medical treatment and weekly compensation they deserve under the DBA? You might ask yourself, why isn't the United States Department of Labor doing more? Why doesn't the United States Department of Labor put a stop to this madness?

Is the fox watching the DBA hen house?

How many foxes like Roger Levy get to make big bucks destroying good people's lives? How can it keep happening - again and again? Why doesn't the United States Deparetment of Labor do something? Anything?


Here is a quote from Roger Levy:

"I then received my first assignment, which involved the death of a passenger in an automobile that ran into and killed a camel in Saudi Arabia. I remember remarking to my legal assistant, Miranda Chiu, who is now with the Department of Labor in Washington D.C., that "we're not in Kansas anymore".

Miranda Chui - Roger Levy's ex-assistant is now in charge of the DBA hen house:

Department of Labor News Release
Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation (DLHWC)
News release - Appointment of DIRECTOR, DLHWC:

The Office of Workers' Comp Programs announces the appointment of Ms. Miranda Chiu as the Director of the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation. Ms. Chiu has served as Acting Director of the Longshore Division for the last eight months, and as the Division's Chief of the Branch of Policies, Regulations and Procedures for eight years before that.

Ms. Chiu has extensive experience in Longshore claims. She worked in various capacities in the Longshore arena for thirty years, beginning as a Claims Examiner in the San Francisco Longshore district office, then as a maritime claims supervisor in private industry and a legal assistant at a major Longshore law firm, before taking on her duties as Branch Chief in 2002.

Ms. Chiu holds a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature, and has published a lead article in 'The Longshore Textbook', 2nd and 3rd Editions. She is a frequent speaker at industry seminars and educational events and has won numerous awards for her work at the Department of Labor.


You read that right - Roger Levy's Ex-Assistant is now the Director of the Department of Labor Longshore system. She is the top person at the Department of Labor on Defense Base Act cases.

So we have a question: Is the fox guarding the hen house?

It sure seems like that to our clients. How about you: Do you feel like the fox is guarding the DBA hen house?

It's a Broken System

Are we putting all the blame on Ms. Chiu? Of course not. The Longshore/ DBA system is broke. She is in charge. This is Ms. Chiu's watch! Is she doing anything about this? I don't know. But I know one thing - I would sure like to sit down with Ms. Chiu and discuss these issues. If I do, I promise you I won't pull any punches. It will be Defense Base Act Lawyer Straight Talk.

Final words

Are all the attorneys at Laughlin, Falbo "bad people?" I don't think so. They didn't go to law school to screw people over. What happens is they get out of law school and get offered good jobs in big cities like San Francisco and San Diego. They have big student loans to pay-off. Next thing they know they have to take orders from DBA insurance company claims examiners. These claims examiners also have mortgages and families. They are rewarded for controverting (read: denying) DBA claims. These DBA insurance company claims examiners are under intense pressure to deny claims. So they deny claims left and right. Trouble is, the claims they are denying are claims of legitimately injured workers. It is a vicious cycle. The attorneys get paid, the adjusters get promoted and your family goes through heck.

From my view, big name lawyers like Roger Levy bring in the business and young associates and partners are left to do the bidding of the DBA insurance company. Only these lawyers can't say "No" to the DBA insurance company adjuster - because they aren't Roger Levy. So the beat goes on. I talk to these seriously injured workers every day. They can't get vital medical treatment. They can't pay their mortgage because they aren't receiving any benefits. The system is seriously broken. And few people "within the system" are screaming about the system.

Is Miranda Chiu a "bad person?"

I don't know - I haven't met her. I know this - she has some really good people working for her. I have known some of the Department of Labor employees for a long time. I have worked with some of the Deparment of Labor claims examiners for 20 years. By and large, these are good people trying to do the best they can with a broken system. But leadership comes from the top. When will the Department of Labor leadership stand up and show us they are guarding the DBA hen house? Do something. Anything. Just stop the madness. Stop allowing the Roger Levy's and the DBA insurance companies to destroy good people.

Please help.


Awarded Super Lawyer 2011
Highest Rated DBA Lawyer San Francisco Avvo.com Rating San Diego Avvo.com Rating

Invited to Speak on the Longshore Act / Defense Base Act at 2011 Maritime Personal Injury Seminar
New York Times 2011 Top Attorney
Elected President of the Consumer Attorneys


Oakland Office
1300 Clay Street, Suite 600
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 858-2822


San Francisco Office
425 California St. 18th Floor
San Francisco, California, 94104
866-963-0540


Los Angeles Office
3255 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1801
Los Angeles, California 90010
866-963-0540


San Diego Office
625 Broadway, Suite 625
San Diego, California 92101
619-234-2833


We can help you get your life back – call us today.



Practice Areas:


    ©2010 The Turley Law Firm, All Rights Reserved
    The Turley Law Firm website and all its contents are copyrighted. All articles, photos and graphics may not be reproduced, republished, retransmitted or redistributed without prior written permission.

The Turley Law Firm
626 Broadway, Suite 625
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 234-2833
Fax: (619) 234-4048
Toll Free: 866-963-0540


The San Diego, California personal injury law firm of The Turley Law Firm serves clients across  Southern California area. We give you straight talk about your legal options. We have handled cases from San Diego to Imperial Beach to Oceanside to Escondido to El Cajon, everywhere in between, such as: Alpine, Camp Pendleton, Cardiff, Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado,  Del Mar, Eastlake, Encinitas, La Mesa, La Costa, La Jolla, Lakeside, Lemon Grove, Mission Bay, NAS San Diego, National City, Naval Station San Diego, North Island, North County, Pacific Beach, Point Loma, Port of San Diego, Poway, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Santa Fe, San Marcos, San Diego Harbor, Santee, Solana Beach, South Bay, Spring Valley, Vista.

We handle cases across California, including: Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Orange County, Imperial County, Los Angeles County, and Ventura County, Colorado River, Mexico, Cabo, Pacific Ocean and all the Oceans and waterways across California and the World.


Work Accident Lawyer San Diego l  San Diego Jones Act Attorney I San Diego Boat Accident Attorney I San Diego Ship Accident Attorney I San Diego Longshore Act Attorney I San Diego Defense Base Act Attorney I San Diego Product Liability Attorney I San Diego Wage and Hour Class Action Attorney, San Diego Toyota Attorney I San Diego Catastrophic Injury Attorney I San Diego Disability Insurance Attorney I San Diego Unum, Unumprovident & Paul Revere Attorney



William Turley

©2012 The Turley Law Firm, All Rights Reserved, Reproduced with Permission Privacy Policy
Attorney web design by Foster Web Marketing, the best attorney website design solution on the Web offering search engine optimization for attorneys, lawyer website design, video for attorneys, and more.
Get SEO Tips from The Attorney Internet Marketing Blog