80 years Representing Civilian Contractors, Veterans, and Their Families
Free Legal Help
Our fees Are Paid By the insurance company,
You NEVER pay
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Injured Civilian Contractors supporting U.S. Armed Forces should ALWAYS be paid compensation.
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We represent you ANYWHERE in the world.
$ Millions $
In Claims Settled for our Clients
In Claims Settled for our Clients
Free Legal Help When You Need it!
For the past 80 years, we have helped injured contractors around the world recover hundreds of Millions of U.S. Dollars in wages and medical benefits.
We Fly To You, Wherever You Are In The World
Our Defense Base Act (DBA) Law Firm – Garfinkel Schwartz Garcia represents civilian contractors who have supported the U.S. Government as Civilian Contractors. We also specialize in assisting longshoremen who work the ports, docks, coasts, rivers and U.S. waterways. Clients have come to Garfinkel Schwartz’s lawyers for the past 8 decades obtaining denied medical care, past owed wages and money for their losses.
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We work to get you the medical treatment and doctors you need at no cost to you.
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We fully prepare you for every milestone of your case (deposition, mediation, settlement or trial).
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We keep you regularly informed.
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We will make sure you receive all the money, wages, and medical care you are entitled to.
What injuries
are
covered?
What injuries are covered? We work to provide compensation, medical, and death benefits to covered veterans, service members, and civilian employees injured or killed in the course of employment, whether or not the injury or death occurred during their shift. Injuries can be physical, psychological or presumptive.
Common physical and psychological injuries include but are not limited to:
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Back
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Neck
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Shoulders
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Arms
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Chest
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Carpel Tunnel
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Hips
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Back or Knee Pain
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Legs
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TBI
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Loss of Hearing
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PTSD
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Anxiety
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Depression
Presumptive injuries are conditions presumed to have been caused by the harsh conditions people were exposed to during the course of their service or employment such as burn pits, pollutants, and unsanitary conditions.
Examples of presumptive injuries include but are not limited to the following:
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Cancer
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Pulmonary injuries
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Hepatitis
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Bacterial infections
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Immune system disorders
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Long COVID effects
The Garfinkel/Schwartz/Garcia family have helped injured workers for for generations – great grandfather, grandfather, father, and sons
Schedule A Free Case Review
When you hire the Garfinkel Schwartz Garcia law firm, you hire a large and powerful team of lawyers, paralegals, legal researchers, staff, accountants, and other dedicated professionals. We help you get the very best medical care. Garfinkel Schwartz Garcia makes sure your doctors get paid. Therefore, you don’t pay for your doctors or lawyer EVER.
What Our Clients Say
WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE CARE
Find out who receives our help. Read their stories, do they sound familiar?
Be amazed by how their life was changed after they found us.
80 consecutive years -
Hundreds of Millions of Dollars for our Clients
Learn more about U.S. Laws protecting EVERYONE who works on a military base or injured by a terrorist attack.
DEFENSE BASE ACT (DBA)
The Defense Base Act was established in 1941 for injured overseas non-military workers. It is an extension of the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act of 1927. DBA provides medical, disability or death benefits to U.S. government contract employees working overseas or their survivors, regardless of nationality.
ANTI-TERRORISM CLAIMS
United States service members, veterans and contractors who were injured in the Iraq War or Afghanistan, in the Iraq Al-Asad Air Base Attack, in Ukraine, may be entitled to significant compensation against banks that helped fund terrorist groups.
TERRORISM INJURIES
United States service members, veterans and contractors who were injured in an act of terror are entitled to seek compensation against banks that helped fund terrorist groups.
The law makes it a crime for anyone to knowingly provide material support or resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations.
LONGSHORE AND HARBOR WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT
If you’re injured while working on water, anywhere in the United States, you are covered by the Long Shore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act. We will not charge you money for getting you compensation while you are undergoing medical treatment.
HOW WE BEGAN
History and Heritage
The law firm is named for founder and attorney Alan Garfinkel, Senior Partner Giselle Garcia, and in memoriam for deceased Longshore and Defense Base Act lawyer, John M. Schwartz and his father Sydney Schwartz.
John Schwartz and his father were Defense Base Act lawyers for more than 50 years. They represented injured workers and contractors around the world.
Alan Garfinkel and John M. Schwartz worked side by side for more than a dozen years. Together, they helped thousands of men and women working as overseas civilian contractors and longshoremen on U.S. Federal waterways who were denied DBA and Longshore Act compensation claims.
Giselle Garcia is a Defense Base/Longshore Act lawyer and Senior Partner with the firm. Schwartz’s grandsons while attending law school served as legal assistants and medical researchers working on the Garfinkel Schwartz Garcia team.
The Garfinkel-Schwartz-Garcia families and law firm have a military service history that goes back more than 106 years, World War I with Alan Garfinkel’s grandfather, World War II with Alan’s Father and 3 uncles and Vietnam with John Schwartz. Currently, Garfinkel Schwartz has a lawyer that is in the Active Army Reserves and serves in the United States Military as a Lieutenant Colonel. Garfinkel Schwartz and our law firm family continue to devote their careers and lives in obtaining medical care and money for civilian contractors and longshoremen who get sick or injured on the job.
I was deployed as a defense contractor in combat zones for more than a decade. Upon returning home, I noticed I was not the same. My doctor diagnosed me with PTSD. I was lucky enough to see Brian Wiklendt in his youtube videos talking about PTSD and the “Defense Base Act". After reaching out to Brian Wiklendt and his legal team, they were immediately able to assist me and represent me. Brian Wiklendt educated me in regards to the “defense base act” and the “war hazard act”. I am very thankful to everyone that worked on my case. Brian never gave up on my case and he was able to assist me with a settlement. I am now moving forward with my family. I encourage anyone that has been in similar situations like myself to reach out Defense Base Act Lawyer Brian Wiklendt and his legal team. Thank you for your support
A Defense Contractor With PTSD
Alexander V.
“Thank you very much for all the efforts and unconditional dedication to my case, I am eternally grateful for your time and dedication, for getting ahead and giving me all the necessary help, to achieve a result favorable to me, a big hug for all of you and thousands of blessings in all your projects or personal goals.”
“Muchas gracias por todos los esfuerzos e incondicional dedicación a mi caso, les estoy eternamente agradecido por su tiempo y entrega, por sacar adelante y brindarme toda la ayuda necesaria, para lograr un resultado favorable a mi persona, un fuerte abrazo para todos ustedes y miles de bendiciones en todos sus proyectos o metas personales."
Client With PTSD & Hearing Loss
Félix Cervantes
"Martyred “Esmatullah“ was my son. I thank this firm’s lawyers for assisting in retrieving his widow’s insurance benefits. We were forgotten many years until we found ‘these’ lawyers in the US."
Father of a Martyred Linguist From Afghanistan
Father of Martyred Esmatullah
Garfinkel Schwartz is the best DBA law firm. Giselle Garcia was my lawyer, and together with Brian Wiklendt she worked on my case. They really went the extra mile to keep me satisfied and happy. From the first phone call she took excellent care of me. She kept me up to date on everything that was going on. Giselle Garcia is detail oriented and she never fed me false promises.I trusted her with my case and she did outstanding job. If I emailed Giselle she always got right back to me.
Giselle Garcia and Brian Wiklendt are very professional ,knowledgeable and pleasant. I couldn’t be happier with the services they provided. Giselle was amazing through the entire process. When I am asked to recommend an attorney the first person I think of is Giselle Garcia. Her thoroughness, dedication to clients, attention to details are perfect.Garfinkel Schwartz Law Firm took care of me and got me a fair settlement. I would highly recommend Giselle Garcia and Brian Wiklendt to anyone with DBA case.
One of Garfinkel Schwartz’s Happy Clients
Iskra
During the process of my DBA case, attorney Giselle Garcia of Garfinkel Schwartz assisted Brian on my case. I could always contact and speak with Brian or Giselle with my concerns and they would always keep me updated. During a very difficult mediation I had that lasted for several hours, Giselle was there for me. She would step in and tell the opposing counsel we needed to take a break because of the emotional issues I was experiencing. Her concern for my emotional well-being was very professional but at the same time, she always had my best interest to make sure I was ok. I was very pleased with the outcome of my DBA case and this was due to the constant hard work of Brian and Giselle.
Soon after my DBA settlement, I had a personal issue which required me to produce paperwork from my case. I contacted Giselle and she was more than happy to assist me and did so. This is a Law Firm that once you’ve settled your case they are still there for you and do so without any hesitation. I know that if I should ever require further assistance from Giselle, I could always contact her. If you are looking for a Law Firm to represent you in your DBA case, do not look any further than Garfinkel Schwartz and Brian and Giselle.
Thank You Giselle and Brian!
A Happy Client
I wish to extend my deep heartfelt appreciation to Mr. Matthew Rolla in particular and the entire Garfinkel Schwartz law firm for the tireless legal assistance you offered to me during the proceedings of my claim since 2020 up to this time.
I dedicate your services and efforts to almighty God. Really, the legal assistance you offer to vulnerable people like me, will be rewarded by only God. Extend my sincere thanks to your colleagues for helping me acquire this monetary assistance to access medication.
Ntungamo District, Uganda
Katungye Onesmus
I would like to thank you for representing me during my court proceedings.
Your encouragement at the very beginning and your support throughout the entire process was immeasurable.
Thank you for your help, determination, courage, and hard work. I appreciate you not giving up on me or my case.
I would not hesitate to recommend your firm to anyone in need of a good attorney.
I would like to ask you to thank the rest of your team on my behalf.
I deeply appreciate every member of this team who shows relentless effort in my case.
Laundry Technician in Bosnia
R. Pasalic
Today April 5, 2023, I want to thank all those at Garfinkel Schwartz who worked on my case and want to specially thank my attorney Giselle Garcia, for persevering and for having a victorious outcome on all the issues in my claim. I am beyond satisfied with this firm and recommend them to anyone who has a defense base act claim.
South American Defense Base Contractor
D.C.