What California Business Owners Need To Know About Workers’ Compensation?

1. What California Business Owners Need To Know About Workers’ Compensation?

2. Workers’ compensation is an insurance structure that has been in place in California since the 1920s. The law itself was first enacted in 1913. The system was designed to act as a tradeoff between employers and employees by giving workers quick access to medical treatment, loss of time from work, and permanent impairment resulting from on-the-job injuries and illnesses, regardless of who is at fault, while also protecting California businesses from most lawsuits brought by injured workers.

3. Who needs to carry workers’ comp coverage in California? Under California law, all employers in the state are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance – even if they have only one employee. Even out-of-state employers may need to purchase workers’ comp coverage in California if they have one or more employees who work here regularly, or if they enter into an employment contract in the state.

4. If I have workers’ comp, can I still be sued? By providing benefits for most work-related injuries regardless of who is at fault, the California workers’ comp system eliminates the need for lawsuits in most cases. However, protection from employee lawsuits is not absolute. Workers can still sue their employers directly for injuries resulting from serious and willful misconduct on the part of the employer.

5. Who pays the premiums for California workers’ comp? California law requires employers to cover the cost of workers’ compensation insurance. Because it is considered “overhead,” or one of the costs of doing business, employers may not ask employees to purchase their own workers’ comp coverage or require them to help cover the cost of the premiums.

6. What is self-insurance? Many California businesses choose to fulfill their workers’ compensation obligations by becoming “self-insured.” Like all other California employers, self-insured businesses must comply fully with the state’s workers’ compensation laws. However, unlike most companies, which purchase their coverage from third-party insurance providers, self-insured employers take direct responsibility for their claims.

7. For help understanding their legal rights and obligations under California’s workers’ compensation laws, business owners in California are encouraged to seek advice from a reputable Los Angeles workers compensation defense attorney at Sacks & Zolonz, LLP.

8. Contact Sacks & Zolonz, LLP Contact Sacks & Zolonz, LLP 400 Corporate Pointe, Suite 800 Culver City, CA 90230 Address 310-216-7778 Phone https://www.szcomplaw.com/contact-us Website