The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act is a federal law that provides work injury benefits to longshoremen, harbor employees and employees working in shipyards, shipping terminals and docks. Civilian employees working on military bases may be able to recover benefits under the Defense Base Act, a federal law that works in conjunction with the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.
Benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act are generally more generous than benefits provided by state workers’ compensation laws. If you or a loved one suffered an injury covered by this law, then you may also be able to obtain permanent partial disability benefits.
Your case must meet certain criteria to qualify for benefits under this law:
You must pass the status test. This test helps determine the nature of your work. Specifically, it determines whether your job duties qualify for compensation under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act.
You must pass the situs test. This test determines where your job duties take place. To qualify for benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, your job would need to take place on, next to or near a navigable body of water.