• Work Injuries
• Jones Act Seaman
• Longshore Act (LHWCA)
• Defense Base Act (DBA)
• Boat & Ship Accidents
• Product Liability
• Wage & Hour
• Toyota Sudden Acceleration Defect
• Catastrophic Injury / Serious Injury
• Submit Your Case to Turley Law Firm

William David Turley

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William D. Turley

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Defense Base Act (DBA)

• Phoenix Defense Base Act Lawyer - Best Rated Phoenix DBA Attorney
• Moreno Valley Defense Base Act Lawyer - Best Rated Corona Defense Base Act Attorney
• Fontana Defense Base Act Lawyer - Bestrated Rancho Cucamonga Defense Base Act Attorney
• Irvine Defense Base Act Lawyer Costa Mesa - Defense Base Act Attorney
• Defense Base Act Law District Offices - Where Is My DBA District Office

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News

• Bill Turley Awarded 2011 Top Attorney - New York Times...
  Posted on 8/12/2011

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Library

Defense Base Act (DBA)

• Winning My Defense Base Act Case (Part 2)
• What Proof Do I Need To Win My Defense Base Act Case? (Part 1)
• Defense Base Act Average Weekly Wage - Don't Get Ripped Off By The DBA Insurance Company!
• His body was battered, his whole world was shattered - And all he could do was just cry
• Roger Levy and Miranda Chiu: Is the Fox Watching the Defense Base Act Hen House?

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What Are Wages Under the Defense Base Act?

When you are seriously injured in a Defense Base Act accident, you need to know your attorneys are doing everything they possibly can to get you the best medical treatment and current benefits. You need to know that your legal rights are being vigorously protected. You need to sleep at night knowing you have the best Utah Defense Base Act lawyer for your case.

We are asked by injured DBA workers across the United States to represent them. We have a Nation wide practice. We represent injured Defense Base Act workers that live across America. We are the number one Defense Base Act Law Firm in the Western United States. We can help you and your family too.

Wages are used under the DBA (ie., Defense Base Act) in order to determine an employee's average weekly wage and compensation rate. Simply stated, the higher a workers average weekly wage under the Defense Base Act; the higher their compensation rate will be. With a higher compensation rate, the injured worker will receive more money for their DBA case. Thus, one of the primary goals of an injured worker (i.e., "Claimant") in a Defense Base Act case is proving the highest average weekly wage they can. This is done with wage evidence.

What are and are not "wages" is often the subject of intense dispute in a Defense Base Act and/or Defense Base Act case. Including or not including any particular item in an injured workers wages under the DBA may result in ten of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits. It can be a really, really big deal to a seriously injured worker and their family.

Under the DBA a "wage" is a money rate received as compensation from an employer, for services rendered by the employee. The money paid to an employee must be traceable to an employer.

Included in wages are gratuities received in the course of employment from others than the employer. In other words, tips or payments from others.

The following have been included as wages: overseas additives or overseas allowances, including foreign housing allowance and cost of living adjustment, completion awards, vacation or holiday pay (calculated the year it is received rather than the year it is earned). However, a claimant is not entitled to have both per diem and the value of room and board included in his wage calculation.

Also included are: the pay for overtime hours (when the hours are a regular and normal part of claimant's employment), container royalty payments (compensation paid by shipping companies in lieu of work lost by longshoremen due to containerization), guaranteed annual income payments (guaranteed payment of up to a guaranteed number of hours of work each year, i.e., an individual only works 1500 hours because of the bad economy, but is guaranteed 2000 hours and accordingly receives pay for 2000 hours of work), earnings from a second part-time job, and payment in kind (automobile parts), rather than in cash.

This website provides information for persons involved in Defense Base Act injuries. We provide vital information so you can make informed decisions regarding your DBA case.

We have the most comprehensive Defense Base Act website.

Call 619-234-2833 or Call Toll Free 866-963-0540

The Turley Law Firm understands that you have questions about your rights and safety, and are probably concerned what might happen to you if you are an injured worker under the Defense Base Act. We are committed to fighting to get you the justice you deserve, and maybe help you regain your peace of mind in the process.

When Ends No Longer Meet, We Can Help

Most people, including the majority of our DBA clients, work extremely hard to provide for their families and to ensure their financial well-being. A sudden injury or a progressive, disabling condition can undermine the financial security of an individual or family, making it difficult to make ends meet.

At The Turley Law Firm, we combine compassion toward our clients with exceptional experience and knowledge to secure the DBA benefits they need. When life gets challenging, take comfort that we are there to help.

Proactive and Efficient Approach to Your Injury Claim

Our experience and knowledge often allows us to shorten an otherwise long and arduous process. You need your Defense Base Act benefits as soon as you can get them. We take a proactive approach in working with you and your doctors to obtain the information necessary to prove your entitlement to benefits under the law and to secure those benefits for you.

We get calls from Defense Base Act clients that have hired local attorneys. It's usually the same type call:

- "My lawyer screwed up my case, can you fix it?"

- "My benefits got cut off and my lawyer doesn't seem like he knows what he's doing?"

- "My lawyer stopped taking my calls."

- "I got referred to a local workers compensation lawyer, he said he could handle my case. Can you help me?"

Look, there may very well be good DBA lawyers in Utah. If there are, we don't know about them. In the meantime, you can hire a local attorney that is probably going to cost you a lot of money or you can hire an attorney that you know is going to have the experience to successfully handle your DBA case.

We are from San Diego, California. We have been handling Longshore and Harbor Worker Compensation Act (Longshore Act) claims since 1987. The Defense Base Act is an extension of the Longshore Act. Defense Base Act cases are administered through the Department of Labor. It is the same law, same system and the same Judges. We understand DBA cases. We understand the DBA insurance companies.

We want you to know that we offer you a choice: A local attorney who is going to learn the DBA with your case or lawyers that have been handling cases before the Department of Labor since 1987.

So you are right. We are not based in Utah. But we are Utah Defense Base Act Lawyers. Meaning we accept cases from Utah.

How can you take a client in Utah when you are not a Utah lawyer?

The Defense Base Act is federal law. The Defense Base Act is a type of federal workers compensation program. Technically, you don't need a lawyer to handle your DBA case. Your brother in law can represent you. And he will probably do a similar job as the local Utah lawyer you hire will do.

Here is the best advice you are going to get. You are much better off hiring an out of state DBA attorney than a local attorney that isn't experienced with either the Longshore Act or Defense Base Act or both.

So if you don't call us - be sure to call an experienced DBA attorney.

Remember, the Defense Base Act is part of the Longshore Act. That's why maritime lawyers are the most experienced DBA attorneys. The DBA is considered part of maritime law.

Avvo.com is the number one attorney rating website in America. According to Avvo.com there are no listings for Maritime Lawyers in Utah.

The highest rated San Diego Maritime Lawyer (the DBA is part of maritime law/ Longshore Act).

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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.

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