Austin Workers’ Comp

Austin workers’ comp insurance pays for medical care and physical rehabilitation of employees injured at work and helps to replace lost wages while they are unable to work. Additionally this coverage protects an employer from being sued by an injured worker in most cases. Workers comp insurance also covers your employees when they are driving their own vehicles for company business.

Workers’ comp policies have various options that vary the cost and coverage for you and your employees:

• In the employers' liability section, or "part two" coverage, your legal expenses would be covered if an employee makes an inappropriate claim of work-related illnesses or injuries. While this section is almost always included in workman’s compensation insurance, you can choose the amount of liability coverage in this section.
• Coverage for employees who are injured in states outside those where your business normally operates.
• Coverage for various types of injuries and illnesses. The mandated part of this section depends on the state where your business is located, but you should be aware of what is and is not covered.
• Coverage for funeral expenses and financial support to dependents.
• Reimbursement percentages for lost wages.

The cost of workers’ comp insurance can vary widely depending on these options, so if you are comparing premium costs, you need to be aware of these variables.

Workers Compensation in Texas

The first workers' compensation laws were enacted in Texas in 1913 under the principle that employers should be allowed to choose whether to offer workers' compensation benefits to their employees. At the time, the courts generally held that mandatory, government-administered workers' compensation programs denied the property rights of employers without due process of law.

The judicial climate changed in 1917 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was lawful to require employers to choose whether or not to participate in a state's workers' compensation program. Texas revised its workers' compensation laws in 1917, but retained voluntary employer participation in the system.

Today, Texas is the only state that allows employers to choose whether or not to provide workers' compensation, although public employers and employers that enter into a building or construction contract with a governmental entity must provide workers' compensation.

Get a free Austin Workers’ Comp quote today!