Month: September 2019

Does my small business need workers compensation insurance even though I only have a few employees?

Posted on by agentinsure

Austin, TX is a great place to live, raise a family, and own a business. One thing Texas is known for is supporting businesses and people who work hard.

That’s one reason why Texas laws are designed to give your business flexibility.  Most states require businesses to pay for workers compensation insurance if there are employees, but Texas is different. 

You can choose whether or not to offer workers compensation 

If you want to discuss all the different options you could have with a workers compensation policy, we at Southwest Insurance Center would be happy to spend the time you need to explore your options.  You can choose coverage tailored to your business and its specific needs.

If you decide not to have worker’s compensation insurance at your business, you need to let your employees know when they are hired, and if the status changes. 

Opting out carries risks 

With workers compensation policy, there are limits as to how much an employee may be compensated for an injury. Without the policy, an injured employee can sue your business for an unlimited amount if there is a qualifying injury. The business would have to pay for the judgment without help. 

Kinds of worker’s comp

There are three basic kinds of worker’s comp benefits:

  1. Medical benefits 
  2. Income benefits 
  3. Death benefits 

Almost any injury will qualify if it occurred while working unless the injury was caused by the employee’s own reckless or illegal behavior. 

If you have a business in Austin, TX, you want to protect your workers to the best of your ability anyway. Having worker’s compensation insurance makes sure that if an employee is injured he or she can get the necessary care right away. If you are thinking about whether or not your business could benefit from worker’s comp insurance, please call Southwest Insurance Center today. 

 

What to do if your home becomes uninhabitable

Posted on by agentinsure

There are many events that can make our home uninhabitable, from fires, wind and water damage, to situations caused by natural disasters. When your home insurance policy has coverage for these events you will have a greater number of options available to you. In fact, there are policies that can help you to find alternative housing so that you don’t have to worry about becoming a burden to your friends and family. The team at Southwest Insurance Center is here to help residents in the greater Austin, TX community have the coverage they need should there home suffer from damage that makes it uninhabitable.

Options if your home can no longer be lived in safely:

When your home is damaged to the point that it is dangerous to live there, you need to leave. The health and safety of your family are much more important than material possessions, even if your heart is breaking as you leave your home. A comprehensive home insurance policy will provide coverage for alternative housing if your home is damaged by a covered event. This is coverage that you will want to make sure that your home policy contains because it can help to ease the trauma of a catastrophic event. 

No one wants to consider the possibility of their home being damaged or destroyed to the point that they can no longer live there. However, we all know that it is better to be as prepared as possible for these types of situations. The team at Southwest Insurance Center is here to help you find the right home insurance policy that can protect you and your family.  Now is the time to ensure that your Austin, TX home insurance policy has the coverage that you need.