Defense Base Act Lawyer for Injured Contractors in Ukraine
Tim Nies, DBA Lawyer and Army Ranger Veteran
Legal Warrior for Injured Overseas Contractors
I am Tim Nies, an Army Ranger Veteran and DBA attorney representing injured private contractors working under U.S. government contracts in Ukraine. As a Defense Base Act (DBA) lawyer, I represent injured civilian contractors worldwide who have sacrificed their health and safety in support of U.S. missions.
At Van Riper & Nies Attorneys, located in Florida but representing contractors worldwide, our DBA lawyer, Tim Nies, fights for injured contractors worldwide, whether they sustained psychiatric injuries such as PTSD, or physical injuries, including spine, head, shoulder, hip, and other orthopedic injuries.
What Is the Defense Base Act?
The Defense Base Act (DBA) is a federal law that provides workers’ compensation protection to civilian employees and contractors working outside the United States on U.S. military bases or under contracts with the U.S. Government, including work performed in Ukraine. The DBA covers injuries and illnesses sustained in the course and scope of employment, whether from combat-related incidents, vehicle accidents, explosions, or cumulative stress and trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Importantly, Ukraine is considered a “zone of special danger” under the Defense Base Act. This means that injuries occurring 24 hours a day while deployed there may be covered, even if they happen off duty, such as while exercising at a gym, so long as the activity that caused the injury arose out of the conditions or obligations of employment. Whether an injury results from rocket attacks, accidents, or even non-work activities incidental to living and working in a war zone, it may still be compensable under the DBA.
This law ensures that injured contractors are entitled to medical care, lost wage compensation, and disability benefits—similar to workers’ compensation in the U.S.—but governed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). Even though DBA claims are administered in the U.S., most injuries occur overseas, which makes it essential to take immediate action to preserve your rights before leaving the deployment zone.
From Army Ranger to DBA Legal Warrior
Before becoming a DBA attorney, I served in the U.S. Army’s elite 3rd Ranger Battalion. My military career ended after I sustained an injury on a parachute jump. That experience gave me a lifelong understanding of what it means to live with serious injuries and to rebuild after them.
Since 2001, I’ve been a trial attorney focused on injury law—first for eight years defending large insurance companies, and since 2010 representing injured Defense Base Act contractors. That experience gives me a tactical advantage: I know the DBA insurance companies’ playbook, and I use that insight to fight for injured contractors and their families. I regularly litigate cases against the major Defense Base Act insurance carriers, including AIG, Starr Indemnity and Liability Company, Allied World National Assurance Company, ACE American Insurance Company, and others.
I am known among clients as a legal warrior, a lawyer who is accessible, responsive, and relentless in standing up to DBA insurance carriers.
Injured in Ukraine? Contact a Defense Base Act Lawyer Immediately
If you were injured while working in Ukraine, it’s critical to speak with a Defense Base Act attorney early, preferably while still in Ukraine. Many DBA claims are weakened because vital evidence is lost before contractors return home.
I routinely speak with injured clients via WhatsApp while they are still in Ukraine or other overseas locations. During those calls, I guide them through essential steps for DBA claims, such as:
- Reporting the injury within 30 days of the incident (a legal requirement under the Defense Base Act).
- Obtaining written medical notes from medics, physician assistants, or military clinics documenting all symptoms and treatments.
- Preserving pay and employment records showing your work status, hazard pay, and job duties at the time of injury.
These early steps (among others) are vital for ensuring your DBA claim is accepted and properly compensated.
Experience. Understanding. Results.
Every DBA case is personal to me. I’ve lived through injury recovery, and I understand how trauma, physical or psychological, affects your life and your family. My mission is to make sure you are treated fairly and fully compensated for your losses, whether in DBA settlement negotiations, DBA mediations or through formal hearings at the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ).
If you were injured while working under a U.S. government contract in Ukraine, contact me directly at (772) 283-8712 for a free and confidential consultation. I regularly consult with clients still overseas using WhatsApp. You may contact me here using this form. You may also find more information here at our DBA facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DefenseBaseActLawyers.
Tim Nies, Esq.
Van Riper & Nies Attorneys, P.A.
900 SE Ocean Blvd., Ste. 140-E
Stuart, Florida 34994
📞 772-283-8712
🌐 www.DefenseBaseActLawyers.com