Workers Compensation Insurance
The policy the state checks, GCs verify before you set foot on site, and one bad ladder fall makes worth every dollar. We handle the class codes, the paperwork, and the audit questions, and shop it across 50+ carriers.
Get a Quote
What is workers compensation insurance?
Workers compensation insurance pays medical bills and a portion of lost wages when an employee is injured on the job, regardless of fault. Most states require it once you have employees, and it generally protects the employer from injury lawsuits at the same time.
What this policy is typically built to handle.
- Medical treatment for work-related injuries and illness
- A portion of wages while the employee recovers
- Temporary and permanent disability benefits, per state rules
- Vocational rehab when an employee can't return to the same role
- Employer liability protection for lawsuits arising out of workplace injuries
- Death benefits for families of employees killed on the job
Who usually carries it.
- Almost any business with employees. Most states require it, and the thresholds are lower than owners expect.
- Construction businesses especially. Florida, for example, requires coverage at just one employee in construction.
- Businesses whose people do physical work or run machinery
- Contractors working under GCs who verify comp before anyone starts
- Any employer who wants the lawsuit protection comp provides, since it generally makes comp benefits the injured employee's remedy instead of a suit
What it does not cover
- Injuries that happen off the clock or outside the scope of work, which are generally not covered.
- Independent contractors typically aren't covered as employees, though state rules on who counts as an employee vary and are stricter than most owners assume.
- Injuries from intoxication or intentional self-harm are commonly excluded under state law.
- Third-party injuries, like a customer getting hurt. That's general liability.
- Exact rules vary by state and policy. We confirm what applies to your setup before you bind.
The ladder fall
Picture a three-person painting crew finishing an exterior job. One employee, working from an extension ladder, loses his footing and falls onto the concrete below. He fractures his hip and two vertebrae, needs surgery, and faces months of physical therapy before he can work again.
Workers comp is the policy that carries this. It pays for the surgery, the hospital stays, and the rehab, plus a portion of his wages through recovery. And if he later sues alleging unsafe conditions, the employer liability part of the policy responds. Uninsured, the medical bills alone could put a small company under.
Get a QuoteAn illustrative example, not a real claim. Every claim is decided by the insurance company under the terms of the actual policy.
What affects your cost.
No two businesses price the same. The only way to know your number is to quote it, and the quoting part is our job.
- Class codes: the actual work performed, which drives the rate per hundred dollars of payroll
- Total payroll by classification
- Your experience mod, which prices in your claims history
- State of operation, since rates and rules vary
- Safety programs and controls that hold the mod down over time
Questions we hear a lot.
In most states, yes, once you have employees. The threshold varies: Florida, for example, requires it at one employee for construction businesses and four for most others, and other states set their own lines. Officer exemptions exist but the rules are strict, especially in construction. Tell us your state, headcount, and what you do, and we'll give you a straight answer.
After the policy year, the insurance company compares your actual payroll to the estimate your premium was based on. Higher payroll means an additional bill, lower means a credit. Keep payroll split cleanly by class code and separate out overtime, because sloppy records tend to get everything rated at the highest code. If payroll moves a lot mid-year, tell us and we'll adjust the estimate before it becomes a problem.
You can be. If a sub has no coverage of their own, their payroll can get picked up on your audit and their injuries can land on your policy. The fix is simple: collect a certificate from every sub before they start and keep it on file. This is the single most common source of audit pain for contractors, and it's entirely avoidable.
Often, yes. The mod is a formula built on your loss history, and it can contain errors: claims that closed lower than reserved, claims that should have aged off, misreported payroll. We pull the mod worksheet and check it line by line. Beyond corrections, the real fix is claims management: report injuries right away and get people back on light duty fast.
Coverage that often pairs with this.
- General Liability InsuranceCovers injuries and property damage your business causes to others, plus the legal defense. The policy behind every certificate request.
- Business Owners Policy (BOP)Liability, your property, and lost income in one policy. Often costs less than buying the pieces separately, with one renewal to manage.
- Commercial Auto InsuranceLiability and physical damage for vehicles used in the business. Personal auto policies generally exclude business use, and insurers check.
Get your Workers Compensation Insurance quote.
Tell us once. A licensed agent shops it across the 50+ insurance companies we work with and comes back with real options, not a form letter.
- Fill this out. It takes a few minutes, not an afternoon
- A licensed agent shops your file across the 50+ insurance companies we work with
- Quotes come back, on average, within 24 hours²
Disclosures
- Sinai Coverage LLC is an independent insurance agency, not an insurer. Coverage is provided by the insurance companies your policy is placed with. Headquartered in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Serving all 50 states.
- Average across recent quote requests. Complex risks and certain coverage lines can take longer.