PressureClean
New member
I'm just curious how many guys on this board have workers compensation coverage or possibly just an exemption as an owner of the business. Or maybe you have no coverage at all. For example, in my company I'm an executive officer of the corporation, so I filed an officer declaration and exempted myself out of the workers comp system and instead I just have disability insurance on myself. It saves me money doing it this way and my disability coverage benefits are more than just workers comp coverage would be. I have work comp for my employees.
So, let's start a thread and see what kind of responses we get. It would also be a good time for any new guys to ask questions regarding workers comp if they don't know about it.
A lot of guys don't realize it but if one of your workers gets hurt on or off your customer's property, they can sue you outright because you don't have workers comp. That's kind of the deal with workers comp, by accepting it, they give up their right to sue you for getting hurt on the job, unless you are wildly negligent and kill them, then I think it's a different story. Also, if they get hurt on your customer's property they can sue your customer and many times your customer's homeowners policy won't cover a claim that involves a contractor without workers comp insurance who got hurt while working for the homeowner. So ultimately you get sued and even if you have liability insurance, that's not going to cover a work injury matter. So you put your business, house, cars, savings, everything at risk.
Now what about guys that go and get 1099 contractor agreements with the people they have working for them? Unless they have their own liability and workers comp, you are responsible for them. So if they get killed falling from a ladder while working for you and they don't have their own coverage and neither do you, then you're screwed.
I'm not posting this to scare anybody, I just think we should start a discussion regarding this stuff because I've actually received private e-mails from guys asking me about insurance type questions and I get the idea that many guys don't have a clue as to why they need insurance or what can happen if they don't have it.
So, let's start a thread and see what kind of responses we get. It would also be a good time for any new guys to ask questions regarding workers comp if they don't know about it.
A lot of guys don't realize it but if one of your workers gets hurt on or off your customer's property, they can sue you outright because you don't have workers comp. That's kind of the deal with workers comp, by accepting it, they give up their right to sue you for getting hurt on the job, unless you are wildly negligent and kill them, then I think it's a different story. Also, if they get hurt on your customer's property they can sue your customer and many times your customer's homeowners policy won't cover a claim that involves a contractor without workers comp insurance who got hurt while working for the homeowner. So ultimately you get sued and even if you have liability insurance, that's not going to cover a work injury matter. So you put your business, house, cars, savings, everything at risk.
Now what about guys that go and get 1099 contractor agreements with the people they have working for them? Unless they have their own liability and workers comp, you are responsible for them. So if they get killed falling from a ladder while working for you and they don't have their own coverage and neither do you, then you're screwed.
I'm not posting this to scare anybody, I just think we should start a discussion regarding this stuff because I've actually received private e-mails from guys asking me about insurance type questions and I get the idea that many guys don't have a clue as to why they need insurance or what can happen if they don't have it.