From JDSupra, Howard Ankin discusses how independent contractors may be covered by a workers compensation policy in Illinois. Howard writes:
“But in Illinois (and many other states), at least the growing ranks of consultants, freelancers and day laborers have one important employee protection in place. That is workers compensation insurance for contract workers, which provides for costs relating to injuries sustained while working. Because of past incidences of fraud, the system creates hurdles for would-be claimants to file a claim successfully, therefore use of a workers comp attorney in Illinois is very often necessary.
Essentially, contract workers are covered in one of two ways:
- Contractor does not have own policy – Illinois treats vendors as employees of the firm they are contracting with if those vendors do not have their own insurance policy.
- Contractor has own policy – Some outside vendors who work on site might have workers compensation insurance of their own (in fact, it might be a requirement for getting the contract in the first place). This would tend to happen in larger companies with several individuals employed on a work site.
This is exceptionally important coverage because of the nature of workplace-related injuries. An injury can happen almost anywhere – Illinois defines (in the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act) what a hazardous environment might be, which includes offices with sharp cutting tools such as scissors – therefore the need for near-universal insurance is a given…”
Read the full story at Do Contract Workers Qualify for Workers’ Comp Claims? | Howard Ankin – JDSupra
