Homeowners: Protect Yourself

Two weeks ago a good friend of my family had a horrible accident while doing a "side" job for a local handyman.  I would share the details but since this will end up in the courts, I will just say he was severely injured, has had two surgeries already and will not be able to return to any kind of work for many months.  UNFORTUNATELY, and this is the part that homeowners need to heed:  The company he was working for was not insured, did not have L&I and as of now, it looks like they were not paying into unemployment. What this means, the homeowners are being sued for the damages and their homeowners insurance (thank goodness they had insurance) will probably end up responsible for the hospital bills and other costs associated with the injuries. In the end, this will cost all homeowners as these incidents lead to much higher costs.  It is very important to check any company you allow to work on your property for the proper insurance and employee coverages.  It is actually illegal to work as a company without the proper licenses and insurances but in these hard times, it is something some employers are willing to forgo to help bring their costs down so they can have the lowest bids.  Protect yourself and help make our work environment save and fair for all employees.