Know more than the basics about workers’ compensation

When independent agents take a closer look at workers’ compensation insurance, disability insurance and health insurance, they need to be able to identify which types of coverage come from each type of insurance. This is important because then, agents can prepare their commercial clients for when an employee gets injured on the job.

Helping agents get started

To start understanding how workers’ compensation, disability and health insurance work together, there are many factors that come into play, including:

• the purpose of workers’ compensation;
• state laws regarding workers’ compensation—including which employees are covered, elective compensation vs. compulsory compensation;
• the benefits from workers’ compensation insurance, which include medical and disability, death and rehabilitation and out-of-state coverages;
• the legal liability an employer has for his or her employees;
• types of health insurance an employer may offer to employees that cover various aspects of employees’ injuries if they are injured at work;
• the benefits from disability insurance—and the differences between short-term disability and long-term disability; and
• the nuances of claims made against an employer when an employee is injured on the job.

Common law matters

Common law is law that is decided by courts, based on a specific case and its precedence. Sometimes, the details of workers’ compensation cases are not as clear cut as you would hope. And sometimes, there are distinctions in cases that set them apart from other cases that have been litigated in court previously. So, the court rules based on the contracts signed between the employer and the insurance agent, and on the precedents that the case presents.

With this in mind, agents can examine case studies in which common law impacted the outcome of workers’ compensation claims, and can be more prepared to educate their commercial clients about the coverages that their policies include.

Access these case studies

Are you looking for some good workers’ compensation case studies? Then you should attend Workers’ Compensation–More Than the Basics, taught by Mishell K. Magnusson, CIC, CISR, CPIA, AAI, FIPC, on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. This online, continuing-education course has been approved for CE credits.

For more information, or to register for this class, log on to the PIA Northeast education schedule.