Defense Base Act (DBA) coverage is usually relatively easy to identify as it is a contractual requirement for Employees working on U.S. defense bases and other similar contracts overseas. It becomes a little trickier when the insured is a subcontractor, as you may need to contact the principal to determine the DBA requirements in the prime contract.
When interacting with the Jones Act or other Admiralty remedies, it becomes much more complex. For example, when an insured works on a U.S. Navy vessel (considered a defense base in its own right). If the Employee does enough work on the vessel to meet the "substantial connection to a vessel in navigation" requirement for Admiralty jurisdiction, they have a right to collect those Admiralty (Jones Act) benefits.
Taking this one step further, DBA excludes admiralty employees, so here is what happens:
· DBA Carrier denies coverage
· Employee sues and collects under admiralty
Here is the problem – it is so easy to assume that DBA supersedes all other coverages that most agents/brokers will not provide Maritime Employers Liability (MEL) coverage … leaving a massive gap and an E&O exposure for that agent/broker.
Even if the "substantial connection" test is not met, the Employee still has the right to sue under Admiralty law, and the DBA policy does not even provide defense cost coverage in this event!
I want to assure you that this is not some hypothetical situation. We have practical examples of claims where the DBA carriers have declined defense and indemnity under Admiralty law, and agents/brokers have had to respond under their E&O policy. Further, this does not need to be some vast Navy vessel, a carrier, or Destroyer, etc.; it could be as simple as an 18ft harbor patrol vessel!
It is rare to see this happen IF all the work is performed dockside. But, if your DBA employee ever does work on a military vessel in Navigation, you must offer MEL coverage, even if it is only to provide defense costs for the incidental exposure.
An "incidental" MEL can cost as little as $3,500 and typically provides $1mil of defense coverage with a small deductible.
If there is a "substantial connection", premiums typically start at $5,000 and above, but both pale significantly against six-figure defense costs, or worse, an actual verdict against your employer/client. Those prices can often be reduced when the MEL is packaged with other coverages.
Once you have that primary $1ml, including it in the excess program is usually straightforward.
Don't get dragged into a false sense of security when the contract requires DBA but there is an identifiable MEL exposure.
Ian Greenway
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