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Department of
Labor OWCP Defense Base Act Workshop
Insurance and Waivers
Insurance
- The provisions of the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act
and the Regulations issued there under apply to the Defense Base Act
- 4(a) makes the employer
- Liable for the benefits
- Obliged to secure the benefits
- 32(a) (1) provides for insurance by an authorized carrier
- 5(a) Failure to secure payment allows employee either to collect
compensation, or to sue employer for damages
- The defenses of “fellow servant”, “assumption of
risk” and “contributory negligence” are not available
- 38(a) The corporation and its president, secretary and treasurer are
severally liable for a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for not more than one
year.
- The president, treasurer and secretary are also severally liable
jointly with the company for the benefits during the period it fails to secure
compensation
- Failure to report a claim carries a separate penalty of up to
$11,000.
- Failure to report a claim waives the time bar
- Failure to controvert a claim requires 10% additional compensation
for each amount unpaid.
Insurance
- The Employer must not be
- Uninsured
- Insured by an unauthorized carrier
- Insured by an authorized carrier, but have no DBA endorsement
- Operating under a waiver which is not effective
- The Employer is responsible, not
- The broker or agent
- The government contraction officer
- The insurance company
- The attorney
- The Department of Labor
Reasons not to forget the DBA
Avoid explaining to your CEO:
- Why he spent the morning hanging about the criminal court
- Why he needs his own lawyer as well as a company lawyer
- Why he needs his own civil lawyer as well as a company lawyer to defend the civil suit
- Why a compensation case is now a $50m. Lawsuit
- Why all this is happening because of a sub contractor
- Why the contract was given at the low bid and he has to pay for the premiums without reimbursement
- How he can explain this to the Treasurer and Secretary
Reasons not to forget the DBABrokers
- Only one endorsement is needed for people flying from MS to LA for corporate orientation, then to TX for training then to VA for transfer to Jordan and then Iraq
- You are compensated for providing cover
- You are at risk of an E & O claim if you do not
Waivers
- The Secretary of Labor, On the recommendation of The head of Any
department or agency In the exercise of her discretion, may Waive the
application of this section with respect to:
- Any contract, subcontract or subordinate contract
- Work location under such contracts
- Or classification of employees
Waivers
- Waivers are routinely granted when:
- Submitted by the proper person
- In the proper form
- Subject to limits and conditions
- Waivers apply to Guam to all employees including US nationals.
Waivers
- Do not apply to:
- US Citizens
- People hired in the US
- Legal residents of the US
- Do not apply unless waived employees will receive compensation under
local laws providing for workers' compensation for injuries, illness or
death
Waivers
- Federal Agencies should insert in every contract and cause to be
inserted in every subcontract and subsidiary contract
- That each contractor before commencing performance
- Provide and maintain
- For all waived employees
- Workers compensation insurance as required by the law of the place of
the work
- With no exclusion for war hazards
Waivers
- If there is no local workers compensation law
- Local and third country Nationals are covered under DBA
- If a worker is NOT covered by another compensation act for any reason
- Employers face penalties
- Brokers face E & O claims
- If in doubt, buy protection
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