There are thousands of workers’ compensation claims every year. Is your mobile food truck business at an even greater risk for employee injury? Southern States Insurance can help you figure out if your catering insurance policy covers it.

If you own and run your business out of a food truck, the last thing you probably are thinking of is having workers compensation. You know you need general liability insurance to be able to use a private lot or attend an event, but why would you need workers’ comp?

Food trucks today cater to a new market of foodies and gourmet snack lovers; gone are the days of generic food trucks that served construction workers. Now food trucks are something sought out, a destination instead of a convenience. As a food truck owner, you spend quality time and money branding your company, creating a menu, launching a website, Tweeting and using Facebook. You are passionate about your food and business and you want others to be too! So why would you risk all of that hard work per chance an employee was injured at work?

Who qualifies as an employee

It’s important to understand who actually qualifies as an employee. An employee is someone who is working for another person, business or entity in return for some sort of payment. That means even if your friends or family members are helping you out, they too qualify as an employee, and therefore must be covered for workers’ compensation. You may want to employ independent contractors, but in most circumstances there is no such thing as an independent contractor on a food truck.

What happens if I don’t have workers comp as part of my catering truck insurance?

Workers compensation regulations and fines vary per state, so it is a good idea to do the research depending on where you operate. In the State of Georgia, if you regularly employ three or more persons at your business, you are required to provide the benefits. This includes full-time and regular part-time employees. If an employee is injured on the job, you will have to pay two-thirds of their wages and medical expenses until he/she can work again. Even if you have less than three employees at your business, if any of them are injured, you are required to cover their workers’ compensation benefits. With workers comp coverage, this burden will be lifted.

The importance of having workers compensation for your food truck should be one of your top priorities. Accidents in the work place are unavoidable, but the risk always increases when your business is mobile, and you must compensate with catering insurance. Southern States Insurance wants you to find the perfect coverage for your food truck business. We would love to give you a free quote and help your dreams thrive!