All US states, except Texas, mandate that companies offer workers’ compensation insurance to employees. This insurance provides cash or healthcare benefits for people injured on the job or due to their work.
Some states allow private insurers to offer workers’ comp coverage, while others operate state-backed workers’ compensation state funds.
No-Fault System
In return for lifelong medical treatment and a portion of lost pay, employees waive their ability to sue their employers for accidents that occurred on the job. Workers’ compensation is similar to the auto no-fault system, where victims of car accidents receive lifetime medical care and expenses in exchange for giving up their right to sue over those losses.
Truck accident attorneys often handle workers’ comp cases in states with a no-fault system. While these systems allow injured workers to receive medical and wage replacement benefits without regard to fault, this system has many disadvantages. For example, victims of a severe injury may be limited in their choice of doctors and medical providers. They also are typically unable to sue for noneconomic losses like pain and suffering.
Additionally, critics argue that no-fault systems encourage reckless driving because dangerous drivers know they will not be held accountable for the damage they cause. In addition, insurance rates are usually much higher in no-fault states.
Some states have adopted hybrid no-fault or choice no-fault systems to avoid the downsides of a pure no-fault system. In these states, insurers still cover economic damages, but victims can bring a lawsuit in tort if their losses exceed a monetary threshold set by the state. This threshold definition language can be verbal or quantitative and aims to limit lawsuits to the most severe cases.
Coverage for Occupational Diseases
In addition to covering the costs of medical treatment, most workers’ compensation policies also cover loss of income due to an injury or illness. Moreover, most states provide cash benefits for temporary total disability, which covers a portion of the worker’s lost wages while they recover from a work-related injury or illness.
Many states require that businesses carry workers’ comp insurance to ensure access to these benefits for injured employees. However, various factors, including insurance fraud, can make this coverage challenging. Workers may falsely report an injury, exaggerate the severity of a claim or even invent one to receive more money.
The state insurance fund is set up to offer workers’ compensation insurance to employers who cannot buy it from private insurers. These entities are also known as Assigned Risk Plans, Assigned Risk Pools, or Residual Market Carriers and function similarly to private companies. They offer workers’ comp at a controlled rate based on the probability of injury for specific class codes.
Those states with competitive state funds allow businesses to purchase workers’ comp through state and private carriers. This incentivizes state and private insurance organizations to offer the most desirable workers’ comp policies. Coverage through a competitive state fund costs more than a private company.
Coverage for Loss of Earnings
Workers’ compensation is to replace a portion of a worker’s lost wages. While the amount is much less than a person’s entire salary, it does help to keep the families of injured employees afloat. However, workers’ comp does not replace any lost future income.
The majority of states mandate workers’ compensation insurance for all firms. A business may face heavy fines and penalties if it fails to carry this coverage. Workers’ compensation also provides legal protection in case an employee brings a lawsuit against the company.
While some states allow private insurers to offer workers’ compensation, many have a state-run fund. These organizations, or assigned risk funds or state insurance pools, handle premium payments and claim distribution.
States with competitive state funds can choose to use NCCI class codes or create their rating systems. They are usually a backup option for businesses that need help finding coverage through private insurers. These state insurance funds can also get coverage for companies rejected by private insurers as too risky. The best way to avoid purchasing workers’ compensation through a state insurance fund is to control losses and minimize claims over a consistent period.
Coverage for Death
The most fundamental purpose of workers’ compensation, which is required in all states except Texas, is to ensure injured employees receive medical care and a portion of their lost income. It also protects employers from being sued by injured workers. The program also offers death benefits to the family members of an employee who passed away from a sickness or accident at work.
State funds serve as insurers of last resort for businesses that cannot find coverage in the private insurance market. They usually cost more than policies purchased in the private market but are an essential backup option for businesses that do not qualify for coverage from private insurers.
Workers’ comp covers only employees, but some business owners, such as sole proprietors, partnerships, and corporate officers, may choose to buy it. They can do so if there is a genuine employer-employee relationship and the business meets specific requirements. For instance, some states require businesses to purchase coverage if they have any non-owners who are not paid on commission.