By Vincent J. Quatrini, Jr., Esq.

Pennsylvania just passed a law that expands the availability of workers’ compensation coverage to small businesses and self-employed individuals. The new law authorizes insurers, including the State Workers’ Insurance Fund, to voluntarily offer workers’ compensation coverage to sole proprietors, partners in partnerships and members of limited liability companies.

For instance, if you work out of the union hall, but you also do side jobs, you can purchase workers’ compensation coverage. If you are injured while working a side job, you will be able to collect workers’ compensation benefits until you recover. We see many individuals who get hurt while working for themselves and have no income protection.

Likewise, if you run a small business as a sole proprietor or a partnership, you can buy workers’ compensation insurance. This coverage is important even if you consider your job low risk for injury. For example, if you injure your back lifting that box of old records and need surgery, you can protect yourself with a workers’ compensation policy.

We often recommend that our self-employed clients purchase a short-term disability policy and/or a long-term disability policy. We still do. However, a workers’ compensation policy provides more complete coverage than a disability policy in many situations.

Planning is the key to your security — please call our office to review your particular circumstances.