Most contractors know that an
employee who is injured on the
job or in the course of employment is
entitled to workers compensation benefits.
Often, the circumstances of the
injury are straightforward — a carpenter
gashes her hand on a piece of rebar or
trips over some scrap lumber on the
deck and breaks her ankle — but sometimes
it's questionable whether or not
the employee was "on the job." Often,
the circumstances determine how the
law is applied.
Most contractors appreciate the protection
workers comp insurance provides,
but they also complain about
high premiums. Since those premiums
fluctuate depending on a company's
claims record, it's important to keep
injuries to a minimum. As the following
examples show, however, accidents
can