Workers Compensation

About Workers Compensation

Wisconsin enacted America's first comprehensive workers compensation statute in 1911, and by 1949 every state required employers to fund no-fault benefits for occupational injuries, trading employee rights to sue for guaranteed medical care and wage replacement.¹

Today's policies follow the NCCI Workers Compensation & Employers Liability Insurance Policy, which standardizes class-coding, audit, and experience-modifier rules across most states while allowing each jurisdiction to set premium bases and benefit levels.²

In New York, every business with employees must carry statutory limits, maintain proof of coverage for the Workers' Compensation Board, and report payroll by governing classifications, missed filings can trigger stop-work orders and five-figure penalties.³

Coverage Highlights

Workers compensation satisfies statutory benefits while employers liability covers suits outside the exclusive-remedy system.

• Medical & wage replacement: Pays unlimited medical care and a percentage of lost wages for job-related injuries or occupational disease.¹
• Employers liability: Responds to third-party-over, loss-of-consortium, or dual-capacity suits that fall outside exclusive remedy protections.²
• Voluntary compensation & stop-gap: Extends benefits to otherwise exempt workers and fills employers liability gaps in monopolistic states such as Ohio or Washington.³
• USL&H, Jones Act, and maritime endorsements:  Provide federally mandated benefits for waterfront, vessel, and crew employees working on navigable waters.⁴
• Occupational accident or AD&D carve-outs: Offer limited benefits for 1099 contractors when state law allows.⁵
• Loss-control and nurse triage services: Many carriers include ergonomics consults, OSHA log support, and 24/7 nurse lines to keep claims costs down.⁶

Rising Costs

NCCI's 2024 State of the Line report shows indemnity claim severity up 3% and medical severity up 2% year over year, reflecting higher wages and medical inflation even as claim frequency declines.¹

The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 5,486 fatal workplace injuries in 2022, the highest since 2007, driven by transportation, overdose, and workplace-violence events, which raises carrier loss expectations for high-hazard industries.²

Wage growth compounds the issue: ADP's Q3 2025 National Employment Report shows private-sector pay up 5.3% year over year, meaning each indemnity claim now costs more even if frequency stays flat (inference based on rising payroll feeding indemnity benefits).³

Cheaper Premiums

• Invest in safety programs: OSHA reports that employers with comprehensive safety and health programs can reduce injury rates by up to 40%, which lowers mods and premium.¹
• Use nurse triage and early return-to-work: WCRI studies show prompt medical direction shortens claim duration and cuts indemnity payments.²
• Audit class codes & payroll: NCCI estimates that classification errors drive up to 7% of premium leakage; annual audits ensure you only pay for actual exposure.³
• Monitor the experience mod: Implementing loss control and closing claims before unit statistical reporting dates keeps the mod from inflating future premiums.⁴
• Explore alternative risk plans: Deductible, retro, and captive structures let financially strong employers retain predictable losses in exchange for lower fixed premium.⁵

What We Do

We work with you to understand your operations, risk profile, and loss history to find the most cost-effective coverage. Our carriers offer broad appetite, competitive rates, and value-added services to keep your operation compliant and efficient.