Workers Compensation

Do I need to Have Workers Compensation Insurance?

Most states require you to have workers compensation insurance, even one employee or one
subcontractor. If you don’t have coverage, you face costly state fines and penalties—even if
you never file a claim. You should avoid getting stuck with unexpected costs by having the
required workers comp program in place.
This coverage gives your employees, and their families, peace of mind knowing they won’t
have to pay for medical treatment or other injury-related expenses.

How Does Workers’ Comp Work?

Given the unique risks that comes with trucking, having the right protection in place to cover
things like illness, disability or disfigurement that occur because of the job itself is a necessity.
Commercial truck insurance is an effective piece of coverage that provides protection for
trucking companies in the event a claim is made, saving a company financially during litigation.

Workers’ Comp in Trucking

Many truck drivers are not necessarily employees of a commercial trucking company. Many
truck drivers are owner-operators who are not considered an employee for the trucking
company; meaning the company is not required to make a workers’ comp payout if a driver is
injured. For those owner/operators, the trucking company CAN elect to include them in their
workers’ compensation program if they choose to. Or, they may select another alternative,
called Occupational Accident Injury Coverage, where the owner-operator purchases his own
coverage for medical benefits and some disability coverage in the event of an injury while on
the job.

Common injuries in the transportation industry result from:

• driving accidents
• when loading or unloading goods
• when making repairs while on the road
• slips and falls when exiting or entering truck