mobile-navigation
Gantt Insurance Agency

1801 E 3rd St
Farmville, VA 23901

Get Directions

Gantt Insurance Agency Blog

Worker’s Compensation FAQs

Worker’s Compensations Frequently Asked Questions

As a business owner working in and around Farmville, VA, you’re required by law to carry worker’s compensation insurance, and the Gantt Agency can help! But what exactly is worker’s compensation and what does it cover? Is there any way to lower your premium? What happens if you’re not covered? We answer all your pressing questions below:

Top 5 Worker’s Compensation Questions

Worker’s compensation is a necessary business expense that can protect employers and employees from financial loss resulting from a wide range of events, including moving and handling equipment, falls, car accidents, and more. It’s important to fully understand this insurance and to make sure you’re adequately covered. 

Who Needs Worker’s Compensation Insurance?

While a couple states make worker’s compensation optional, it’s required by law in most states, including Virginia. The Virginia Worker’s Compensation Act requires all businesses with at least three or more regular part-time or full-time employees must carry worker’s compensation insurance. This means that if you run a family business and you and your spouse are the only employees, you may not have to have coverage. Likewise, if you hire only freelance employees, you may be exempt (Or, you may not, depending on who is controlling the work and where the work is performed. If the work is performed onsite, it’s best to have worker’s comp even if your workers are designated 1099 contractors.) 

In most situations, if you hire anyone else for any reason, including seasonal and temporary employees, you need to have worker’s comp. 

What’s Covered by Worker’s Comp?

Worker’s compensation is a mutually beneficial policy that protects employees from financial loss while protecting employers (you) from liability. Worker’s compensation insurance can help cover medical bills, lost wages, ongoing care and treatment, legal expenses related to lawsuits, settlements for employee injuries, and even funeral costs in the unfortunate event of death as the result of a work-related accident or illness. 

What’s Not Covered by Worker’s Comp?

While worker’s compensation is designed to be a catch-all policy that covers a wide range of accidents and other events, there are a few specific circumstances that may be excluded from your policy. These include accidents that result from worker intoxication, injuries resulting from a fight an employee started, and intentional injuries (ie insurance fraud.) For a full list of excluded events, check with your insurance agent. 

How Do I Know How Much Worker’s Compensation Coverage I Need?

Your insurance agent can help you tailor the right coverage for your business. Factors that affect your desired coverage limits and your premium include the number of employees you hire and the type of work you do. A small office with six employees will have much lower coverage requirements than a manufacturing plant doing heavy industrial work with sixty employees. 

How Do I Get a Worker’s Compensation Policy? 

The best way to get a worker’s compensation policy that’s accurate and adequate for your business operations is to work with a licensed and registered insurance agent. The commercial insurance specialists at the Gantt Agency will work with you to customize a policy and have your Farmville, VA business protected in no time. 

Need a worker’s compensation policy? Contact us and get started today! 

Two Types of Mandatory Commercial Insurance

When you own a small business, many different insurance policies can come in handy. However, very few are mandatory. Many other policies are recommended for business owners to give themselves better protection against lawsuits and other costs. If you need commercial insurance in Virginia, call us at Gantt Agency in Farmville, VA today.

Workers’ Compensation

This is an insurance type that is required for most small businesses in Virginia. If your business has two employees or more, state law requires that you cover them with workers’ compensation insurance. This covers illnesses and accidents that happen to your employees at work. If you don’t have this coverage, you can face fines and fees that result from not having the proper insurance. If you don’t have this coverage, you are also open to lawsuits from anyone who gets sick or becomes injured at work. It even pays for the lost wages of your employee if they are unable to work due to their injury or illness. 

Commercial Auto

With this type of insurance, a vehicle owned by the business is covered in case of an accident that injures people and/or causes property damage. In most cases, a personal auto insurance policy will not pay out if the accident happened during the business’s course. With a commercial auto policy, your liability to both cars and people is covered when the vehicle is used for business tasks. 

Get Your Commercial Auto Insurance Policies

If you meet the criteria for commercial insurance coverage, but your business doesn’t yet have it, you could be fined or cited. And even worse, you could become liable for a serious accident that you weren’t insured against. If you need a commercial policy, contact us at Gantt Agency in Farmville, VA.

Who should get a commercial insurance plan in Virginia?

The Farmville, VA area continues to grow and offers a lot of opportunities to small business owners. If you are going to start a business in this area of Virginia, getting proper insurance coverage for your company is very important. One type of insurance that you will need to have is commercial coverage. There are several scenarios in which someone should get a commercial insurance plan for their business.

Those that Invest in Business Assets Need Coverage

A situation when you will want to have a commercial insurance plan is when you invest in business assets. Many businesses will require an investment into some core assets to get their company moving and off the ground. Those that choose to get a commercial insurance plan will receive the coverage they need to protect these assets. With proper coverage, you will be protected if the assets are stolen or otherwise damaged.

Those that Want Liability Coverage Need Coverage

You will also want to get a commercial insurance plan if you want liability protection. There is always a risk that a small business could be named in a liability claim. If this happens to you, it could be very detrimental to your company. Thus, you must get a commercial insurance plan that will offset this risk by providing liability coverage. 

If you want to get a commercial insurance plan in the Farmville, VA area, it would be wise to call the Gantt Agency. The team with the Gantt Agency understands how important commercial coverage is. They can offer you the guidance needed to assess your insurance needs and pick a plan properly. This can help to ensure your business stays properly covered in the future.

Why should I get a garage insurance policy?

Owning a commercial garage in Farmville, VA is a great way to make a living. There continues to be a demand for the services that garage owners can provide, which means you will always have a flow of customers. If you would like to own a garage here, you also need to make sure that you protect your company with insurance and liability. There are a few reasons that you should get a garage insurance policy. 

Coverage for Accidents in Garage

When you own or operate a commercial garage, there will always be a lot of activity that includes using machinery and moving items around. This activity could lead to accidents where someone gets hurt. Fortunately, when you get a full garage insurance policy, you can mitigate this risk by getting appropriate liability protection. 

Coverage for Lost Items

A garage owner may use the space to store products for clients. If you are storing cargo or products in a commercial garage, you will take on some liability for these items. When you get a proper insurance plan, it will offer you the coverage that could be used to mitigate this risk. This could be very helpful if there is ever a fire or theft that results in a loss of customer assets. 

If you are looking for a garage insurance policy and are in the Farmville, VA area, it would be good to call the Gantt Agency team. Many important choices and factors need to be considered when looking for garage insurance. The Gantt Agency team will help you understand your options and build a policy that provides ample coverage. This can help to ensure you remain properly protected at all times. 

Is Worker’s Compensation Insurance Required in Virginia?

If you own a business in Virginia and have three or more employees, part-time or full-time, you must obtain worker’s compensation insurance. The agents at the Gantt Agency in Farmville, VA have the experience and knowledge it takes to guide you in creating a policy that works for you and your employees.

Workers’ Compensation for Virginia Business Owners

Virginia law regarding worker’s compensation was put into place to ensure that businesses’ employees are covered if they suffer an injury while on the job. You will need workers’ compensation insurance for all of your employees if you have three or more to ensure medical bills are paid, along with their lost wages, while they are off work due to an injury they sustained while on the job.

Workers’ compensation insurance will also help you and your business to avoid being sued in a civil lawsuit due to an employee being injured on the job. The employee will receive compensation for their wages to pay their bills while they are healing and recuperating from the injury they sustained while working at your business.

In Virginia, you do not only have to count the number of part-time and full-time employees who work directly for workers’ compensation. You must also count any subcontractors who work for your business. For example, if you only have one employee, you would not be required to have workers’ compensation insurance. Still, if you have one employee and three subcontractors working for your business, you must include the subcontractors in the total number of employees for workers’ compensation purposes.

To obtain the proper workers’ compensation policy for your business, contact the trusted agencies at Gantt Agency in Farmville, VA.

Learn More About Virginia Commercial Insurance

When Virginia entrepreneurs open their doors, they are embarking on an exciting journey that is not without risks. Indeed, there is a great deal of uncertainty with any business opportunity, but that does not mean you need to go out into the market with no protection. Commercial insurance from Gantt Agency can protect your company, so you can concentrate on building your business and expanding your services to include an even greater market share in Farmville, VA.

Call the Virginia Insurance Team You can Trust

While no two business owners have the same needs and concerns, all companies need basic insurance policies designed to protect against asset loss, damage, or liability. As such, it is important to sit down and discuss a commercial insurance policy that is designed to protect your business specifically. From vehicle fleet insurance to real property to inventory stocks, a lot is riding on having the commercial insurance you and your company need should the unexpected occur.

Our team is standing by to listen to your concerns to craft a better policy that will not only help you protect your Virginia based business but will give you the security to continue building your business for years to come. You probably have questions regarding the best possible insurance coverage for your business, and we have the answers, so you can make the informed decision designed to help make your business thrive.

Contact our Team at Gantt Agency for Your Commercial Insurance

Business owners have a lot on the line, and commercial insurance is designed to help you weather adverse conditions, whether caused by natural causes or just a routine accident that can strike at any moment. Serving the Farmville, VA business community, Gantt Agency understands the needs of business owners, and we look forward to meeting you to find an insurance policy that fits your company’s needs, so to contact our friendly and knowledgeable team for a free, no-obligation quote.