NorthAmerican Transportation Association now offers several Occupational Accident Insurance programs for Independent Owner-Operators under long-term lease to trucking companies. You have your choice of Occupational Accident Insurance with the following options: with Contingent Liability or with a Workers’ Compensation. This coverage is written by several well known “A” rated companies and provides truck drivers with the coverage they need to protect themselves and their families. Occupational Accident applies to accidental injuries that occur while under dispatch by a motor carrier. Occupational Accident policies in the driver’s name have been the determining factors in several court cases.
Occupational Accident Insurance is available to:
Owner Operators – Co-Drivers – Contract-Drivers – Scheduled Co-Drivers – Team Drivers
Occupational Accident Insurance provides benefits such as:
Contingent Liability
When a trucking company sponsors an Occupational Accident Program, Contingent Liability Coverage is then available to protect the motor carrier in the event that an injured Owner Operator seeks employee status. Depending on the insurance company used, the Contingent Liability policy will either pay Workers Compensation benefits on behalf of the motor carrier, or it will reimburse the motor carrier for any related expenses – which are not covered by any other insurance – that are paid to an Owner Operator, who is successful in being deemed an employee of the motor carrier.
NorthAmerican Transportation Association (NTA) can help design Occupational Accident plans for motor carriers that sponsor programs for their Owner Operators NTA can also setup automatic credit card deductions, automatic bank account deductions, bill direct and can also handle groups of individual Owner Operators that do not have access to a sponsored plan.
This is an excellent program that fulfills a very specific need in the transportation industry. Contact NorthAmerican Transportation Association today for details and let us help you to design a plan for your Independent Owner Operators.
Workers' Compensation Option
This option has a Workers’ Compensation claim defense and coverage for injuries where Independent Owner Operators try to gain employee status will be provided via a Client Service Agreement between the motor carrier and a national Professional Employer Organization (PEO).
NTA refers to this as “IF Any” Workers’ Compensation coverage and it provides the following benefits:
- The independent owner operator formally excludes themselves and their payroll from coverage as a Self Employed/Sole Proprietor as allowed by most State Statutory guidelines for Executive Officer, Partner, and Self Employed exemption statutes. The ability to defend the Independent Contractor position is strengthened by this exemption election.
- The Motor Carrier is provided coverage as an “alternate employer” by the PEO’s Workers’ Compensation policy. This establishes a viable coverage position for the contracting company in the event the Independent Contractor attempts to be reclassified as an employee of the motor carrier rather than a Self Employed individual.
- The Motor Carrier will be provided with a Certificate of Insurance to show proof of coverage for each independent owner operator who does work for them. The certificates issued to each driver will also protect the motor carrier against audits by their own corporate Work Comp carrier who will be looking for evidence of Work Comp coverage for all 1099 workers.
- This is a Statutory Workers’ Compensation policy and not a Contingent Liability policy that is a surplus lines product with limited benefits. See attached comparison.
Other additional coverage’s, such as full Workers’ Compensation coverage for independent owner operators in North Carolina, and Passenger Accident coverage for both independent owner operators and employee drivers are available.
If you utilize Independent Owner Operators, this is the ultimate protection policy. If you are interested, please contact NTA for a submission form.