I am a Cal business owner - do I need to have workman's comp insurance on myself?

Question

I have a client (University of California) that is asking for a certificate of insurance.

Answer 1

Generally, no.

Answer 2

I'll do the best I can. The general ans is Yes you need to be covered by your co. policy, even if you are a sole proprietor. The laws in CA may be very different than here in PA, but if the client wants a certificate covering you that's the way it is going to be. U of C has to protect themselves against any liability from you getting hurt on their campus while working on your job site. I don't know what type of business your in I am assuming it is some type of construction, and anyone on your job site needs to be covered.

Answer 3

I don't know about California, but in NM some businesses are required to have worker's comp insurance, even if they do not have any employees. The insurance companies exempt the business owner(s) from coverage, even though they charge for the owner.

Contact your insurance agent for details. Or, if you have a specialized license (like a building contractor), contact the licensing agency.

Answer 4

you need to have all the insurance that you can afford.
what if you are a painter and up on a scaffold and drop a half of gallon of paint on a student remodeling a library and cut through a water line, an electrician and cause a fire due to faulty wiring, a plumber that has a water line or worse yet a sewage line not holding. etc.
in this sue happy world you need to be over covered or the ones that sue will come after your own personal assets
that is another thing to look at as to how your business is set up, you need to set it up so that you personally won't be sued and to do that you may to see a lawyer.