Category Archives: Uninsured Employers

I Failed to Get Workers’ Compensation Insurance for My Employees—What Should I Do Now?

Under California state law, employers must get workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. In California, an uninsured employer is “any employer who has failed to secure the payment of compensation as required by Labor Code Section 3700” (§15560). What happens if your company has failed to get insurance coverage? You need to take proactive measures […]

Is an Employer in California Considered “Uninsured” if Workers’ Compensation Coverage Expired?

In California, businesses and organizations are required to obtain and maintain no-fault workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. An employer that is uninsured is in violation of the law—and, as such, could face civil and even criminal sanctions. What happens if coverage lapses for a short period of time? The short answer is that an […]

Contractor Sentenced in Workers’ Compensation Fraud Case in Simi Valley, California

According to a report from Hoodline, a contractor in Simi Valley was sentenced as part of a workers’ compensation fraud case. Mauricio Torres—the owner of a company called Vero’s Tree Service—was sentenced to one year of probation, fined $10,000.00, and ordered to pay financial restitution for knowingly failing to obtain mandatory workers’ compensation insurance coverage. […]

California Workers’ Compensation: Self-Insured Employers—Claims Volume and Losses Fall

Recently, the Insurance Journal reported that the workers’ compensation claims volume and the workers’ compensation total losses incurred both fell for self-insured employers in California in the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023. Notably, the year-of-year claims filed during this period were down nearly 17%. Our Bakersfield workers’ compensation defense law […]

DID YOUR COMPANY RECEIVE A SPECIAL NOTICE OF LAWSUIT (SNOL)? FOUR THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) explains that all employers in California “are required by law to have workers’ compensation insurance, even if they have only one employee.” A workers’ compensation claim is generally the sole remedy that an injured worker has against their own employer for a work-related accident. However, if an employer fails […]

FOUR PROBLEMS THAT UNINSURED EMPLOYERS IN CALIFORNIA MAY DEAL WITH AFTER A WORKPLACE ACCIDENT

The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) explains that all employers in California are legally required to purchase no-fault workers’ compensation coverage. Should they fail to do so, they are an improperly uninsured employer. Employers that are uninsured can face major problems if one of their workers is hurt on the job. Here, our Sacramento workers’ […]

HOW DO SMALL BUSINESSES GET WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE COVERAGE IN CALIFORNIA?

Small companies are the backbone of the California economy. According to data from the Small Business Administration (SBA), there are 4.2 million small businesses actively operating in California. Under state law (Labor Code § 3700), all small businesses are required to provide no-fault workers’ compensation coverage As a small business owner or operator, you may […]

FIVE SIGNS THAT YOU SHOULD HIRE A WORKERS’ COMPENSATION DEFENSE ATTORNEY IN CALIFORNIA

Did you know that California’s workers’ compensation insurance system is the single largest privately administered social benefits system in the entire world? Our state also has one of the most complex and comprehensive workers’ compensation systems. For employers, claims administrators, and insurers navigating the process, there are many different circumstances in which they could benefit […]

CAN AN UNINSURED EMPLOYER BE SUED BY AN INJURED WORKER IN CALIFORNIA?

Employers in California must provide workers’ compensation coverage to all of their employees (Labor Code § 3700). There are serious legal consequences for the failure to do so. This raises an important question: Can an uninsured employer be sued by an injured worker in California? The answer is a clear and resounding ‘yes’—uninsured employers are […]

UNINSURED EMPLOYER DEFENSE: HOW TO RESPOND TO A SPECIAL NOTICE OF LAWSUIT (SNOL) IN CALIFORNIA

The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) is clear: Employers in our state “are required by law to have workers’ compensation insurance.” An uninsured employer could face several different sanctions, including: Civil legal action in the form of personal injury liability; A state-issued fine that could be as high as $10,000.00 per worker; A doubling […]