California workers compensation insurance covers all employees no matter the size of the business in which they work. It is important to point out that this insurance must not only cover native Californian’s but also employees from outside the state.

Without exception all employees who work within the state of California, must still be covered by their employer. If the business employs just one worker it must still have this type of insurance. People working as contractors such as roofers, even if they employ no-one else, must also have workers compensation insurance.

California workers compensation insurance covers employees if they suffer work-related illness or injuries. Provided the illness or injury is suffered thru work the insurance will cover all medical expenses and wage replacement benefits, any retraining that may be required by the injured worker, and, when necessary, death benefit.

If must be stressed that the entire cost of the California workers compensation insurance must be totally met by the employer. Employees do not have to make a contribution.  On no account must employees be made to contribute to the cost of the insurance.

Workers compensation insurance can be purchased from any agent, broker or licensed insurer authorized to issue policies within the state of California. While private insurers play a key role in the provision of workers compensation insurance in California, the State Compensation Insurance Fund, established in 1914, is the state’s largest provider of this type of insurance.

Businesses who meet specific financial requirements may be able to self-insure. This mainly applies only to larger companies but with some schemes groups of small companies are permitted to pool their resources to self-insure as providing they meet the stringent financial requirements.

The ratings which help determine workers compensation insurance premiums in the state are decided by the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California – WCIRB, a non-profit organization comprising of 400 member companies. Because Californian employers have a choice of licensed insurers from which to buy their workers compensation insurance, they can always shop around for the best deal and there are many different schemes available at differently set tariffs.

Workers compensation insurance in California has benefits for employers as well as employees. Because it works on a “no blame” basis, it avoids the need for the employer having to be taken to court as the employee fights for compensation for his work-related illness or injury.

Most of the time this system works smoothly, but of course disputes can still arise. The most common causes for a dispute are the employer’s insurance provider questioning whether the illness or injury really is work-related, or the claimant’s entitlement to benefits. The Division of Worker’s Compensation – DWC, which monitors the system, can help resolve any disputes thru its Information and Assistance Unit, or by the employee meeting a judge in any of its 24 district offices.

Because of the risk of disputes any worker who is pursuing a California workers compensation claim must ensure they have a record of all the evidence in their case which they are able to present either to a judge or their workers compensation lawyer.