Workers' Compensation Insurance
Workers' comp that pays your people fast and keeps your jobs moving
Medical bills, lost wages, and the legal side of a workplace injury — handled by A-rated carriers and a licensed agent who answers the phone.
Workers' compensation pays the medical costs and part of the lost income when an employee is hurt or becomes ill because of their job. In nearly every state it is required by law as soon as you hire your first employee, and the penalties for going without it are far more expensive than the premium. Just as importantly, it is the trade that keeps an ordinary workplace accident from turning into a lawsuit: in exchange for guaranteed benefits, the injured employee generally gives up the right to sue you over the injury.
What separates a good workers' comp program from a bad one is rarely the price on day one — it is how the policy is built and how the claims are handled. A misclassified payroll code can inflate your premium by thousands of dollars a year. A claim that drifts for months without adjuster contact drives your experience modifier up and follows you for three policy periods. We build the classification schedule correctly, shop your risk across carriers that actually want your industry, and stay involved after the claim is filed so the file closes instead of lingering.
We also place pay-as-you-go programs that tie premium to each payroll run instead of an estimate made twelve months in advance, which removes the big down payment and takes most of the surprise out of the year-end audit.
What's covered
- Medical treatment. Emergency care, surgery, prescriptions, physical therapy, and follow-up visits related to a covered on-the-job injury.
- Lost wages. Partial wage replacement while an employee is unable to work, and reduced-earnings benefits during light duty.
- Occupational illness. Conditions caused by the work itself — repetitive motion injuries, chemical exposure, hearing loss.
- Permanent disability. Scheduled benefits when an injury leaves lasting impairment, plus vocational rehabilitation where required.
- Death benefits. Funeral expenses and ongoing benefits paid to a surviving spouse and dependent children.
- Employer's liability. Legal defense and damages if an injury claim falls outside the standard comp system and lands in court.
What it doesn't cover
- Injuries off the clock. Weekend or commuting injuries with no connection to job duties are excluded.
- Intoxication and horseplay. Claims where drugs, alcohol, or intentional misconduct caused the injury are commonly denied.
- Damage to property. A crew member breaking a customer's window is a general liability claim, not a comp claim.
- Independent contractors. True 1099 contractors are not covered by your policy — though states often reclassify them at audit.
- Employment disputes. Wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment claims belong under EPLI coverage.
How claims actually play out
The ladder in the stairwell
An electrician's apprentice slipped off the third rung while pulling wire in a stairwell and fractured his wrist. Surgery, six weeks off, then eight weeks of light duty and therapy.
Outcome: The policy paid roughly $41,000 in medical costs and wage benefits. The contractor paid nothing beyond the deductible-free premium and kept his GC relationship intact.
The slow shoulder
A warehouse picker reported shoulder pain after two years of overhead stocking. There was no single accident — just cumulative strain that an MRI traced to a rotator cuff tear.
Outcome: Occupational illness benefits covered the repair and 11 weeks of partial wages. We pushed for an early return-to-work plan that closed the claim before it hit the experience modifier hard.
The kitchen burn
A line cook knocked over a fryer basket during a Saturday rush and suffered second-degree burns on both forearms. The restaurant was short-staffed for a month.
Outcome: Medical care and wage replacement totaled about $18,500. Because the claim was reported the same night, the carrier assigned a nurse case manager and the cook was back on modified duty in 17 days.
What drives your price
- Payroll by class code
- Premium is calculated per $100 of payroll in each job classification. Clerical payroll costs a fraction of roofing payroll.
- Your experience modifier
- A three-year loss history score that can cut your premium by 20% or inflate it by more than 50%.
- State
- Rates are set or heavily influenced by each state's rating bureau, so identical crews cost different amounts across state lines.
- Claims history and severity
- Frequent small claims hurt more than most owners expect — carriers price for pattern, not just dollars.
- Safety program and documentation
- Written safety plans, drug-free workplace credits, and return-to-work programs unlock carrier credits.
Workers' Comp questions
Ready to price workers' comp?
One application, shopped to up to 10 A-rated carriers. A licensed agent presents the options side by side — usually within one business day.