Workers Compensation Insurance in Longview, TX
Protect the crew and the company. Workers compensation pays medical bills and lost wages when somebody gets hurt on the job, and it is the coverage most often demanded by the people who hire you.
Texas is the odd one out
Texas does not require most private employers to carry workers compensation. It is the only state that works this way. An employer who goes without it is a "non-subscriber," and that choice has to be reported to the state and disclosed to employees.
What non-subscribers give up is bigger than most people realize. A subscribing employer's exposure to an injured employee is generally limited to the benefits the policy pays. A non-subscriber can be sued directly, and loses several of the legal defenses an employer would normally have. One bad injury can become a lawsuit with no policy behind it.
Some non-subscriber plans exist and can make sense for certain operations. They are not workers compensation, they do not satisfy a contract that specifically requires workers compensation, and they should be chosen on purpose rather than by default.
Who is going to require it anyway
Even where the state does not require it, somebody else usually does:
General contractors. Most will not let a sub on site without a certificate showing workers compensation, and many require a waiver of subrogation in their favor.
Public and government work. Contractors building for a governmental entity in Texas are generally required to carry it.
Lenders and landlords. Commercial leases and loan covenants frequently list it.
Larger customers. Plants, schools, hospitals and municipalities almost always ask.
If you have lost a job because you could not produce a certificate, this is the coverage that was missing.
What drives the premium
Workers compensation is rated on payroll and on class codes, the categories that describe what your people actually do. A roofer and a bookkeeper are not priced the same, and putting payroll in the wrong code costs real money in both directions.
Premium starts as an estimate and is trued up at the end of the term by audit. If your payroll grew, you owe more. If it shrank, you are usually owed money back. Keeping clean records of subcontractors and their certificates matters here, because uninsured subs can get picked up as your payroll at audit time.
Owner-only operations
A one-man shop is a common case in East Texas. Owners can often exclude themselves from coverage, which changes the price considerably, but doing that means there is no comp benefit for the owner if he is the one who gets hurt. We will lay out both versions and let you pick with your eyes open.
Getting certificates out the same day
On a job site, a slow certificate costs somebody a day. We issue certificates of insurance fast, including additional insured and waiver of subrogation wording when your contract calls for it. Send us the contract language and we will tell you what the policy has to say to satisfy it.
Start here
Send your current declarations page, your payroll by job type, and any contract that spells out an insurance requirement. We will shop it across several markets rather than quoting one company, and tell you plainly where you stand.
Request a quote, or call or text 903-372-1901. We also write general liability and commercial auto for most of the same accounts. We are at 3400 W Marshall Ave, Suite 200, Longview, Monday through Friday, 8 to 5.
This page describes how workers compensation generally works in Texas. Coverage, exclusions, eligibility and legal obligations depend on the policy issued, the carrier's underwriting and your own circumstances, and nothing here is legal advice. We are glad to review your policy and your contract requirements with you.