Latest Contractors Headlines

All the headlines from our Contractors Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Indiana High Court Sides with Contractors on Fire Costs

May 26 2015 // The Indiana Supreme Court says contractors who worked on a 19th century courthouse before a 2009 fire don’t have to pay some of costs of repairing the fire damage.The decision upholds lower court rulings favoring...

Hard Rock Lake Tahoe Sued by Reno Contractor For $6M

May 21 2015 // SMC Construction of Reno, Nev. is suing the owners of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Lake Tahoe for failing to pay more than $6 million for work to finish the property before its Jan. 28 grand opening. The Reno...

Courts and Carriers Can Misapply the Absolute Pollution Exclusion

May 19 2015 // Never let it be said that an exclusion would or could be misapplied; but the absolute pollution exclusion likely qualifies as the most misapplied exclusion within the commercial general liability (CGL) policy. Reasons for...

Conn. Bill Requires Home Improvement Contractors to Have Insurance

May 15 2015 // Certain home improvement contractors in Connecticut could soon be obligated to hold liability insurance.The Connecticut House of Representatives on Thursday voted 140-2 in favor of legislation that would require...

Indiana Governor Signs Bill Repealing Construction Minimum Wage Law

May 8 2015 // Local boards will no longer set minimum wages for public construction projects in Indiana under a law signed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence.The bill will eliminate the boards that set what is known as the common...

OSHA Rule Protects Construction Workers in Confined Spaces

May 5 2015 // The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule to increase protections for construction workers in confined spaces.The rule will provide construction workers with protections...

Cracking Under Pressure: Answers to the Workers’ Compensation Quiz

Apr 20 2015 // We gave you the questions on Friday; you have had all weekend to ponder your responses. Here are the answers for which you have been waiting. Good luck, we hope you do well.1. What country was the first to implement a...

Texas, Louisiana Improve Building Code Rankings but More Work Needed

Apr 20 2015 // Texas doesn’t have the worst score in a recent ranking of state building code systems but it’s pretty close to the bottom, according to a national organization committed to improving the ability of properties...

California Agent Nabbed on Bogus Bond, $100K Premium Theft Charges

Apr 20 2015 // Licensed insurance agent Lars Hedegaard, 63, of Danville, Calif. was arrested on two felony counts of grand theft in April.Hedegaard was doing business as Westport & Associates Insurance Services Inc. when he...

Washington Contractor Hit for $1M in Workers’ Comp Premiums and Penalties

Apr 15 2015 // A former drywall contractor in Walla Walla, Wash. must pay more than $1 million in delinquent workers’ compensation premiums and penalties.The Washington State Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals recently held...

Audit Problems Leading to Additional Premiums

Apr 15 2015 // Let’s dispense with the niceties and all attempts to eloquently ease into a discussion on the troubles surrounding workers’ compensation audits. Rather let’s jump right into the problem — assignment of...

Texas, Louisiana Improve Building Code Rankings; More Work Needed

Apr 14 2015 // Texas doesn’t have the worst score in a recent ranking of state building code systems but it’s pretty close to the bottom, according to a national organization committed to improving the ability of properties...

North Carolina Contractor Jailed for Taking Insurance Money for Fraudulent Jobs

Apr 10 2015 // Authorities are accusing a contractor of taking more than $9,000 from insurance companies for roofing jobs in Richmond County, N.C., that he didn’t do. The Richmond County Daily Journal reports 42-year-old David...

California Agent Nabbed on Bogus Bond, $100K Premium Theft Charges

Apr 8 2015 // Licensed insurance agent Lars Hedegaard, 63, of Danville, Calif. was arrested on two felony counts of grand theft.Hedegaard was doing business as Westport &Associates Insurance Services Inc. when he allegedly issued 14...

BTIS announces expansion of Contractors’ General Liability, now in 43 states

Apr 2 2015 // Rocklin, CA, April 2, 2015: Builders & Tradesmen’s Insurance Services, Inc. (BTIS) is pleased to announce the expansion of their Victory® General Liability program into New Jersey, it’s 43rd...

Nonemployee ‘Employees:’ The Borrowed Servant Doctrine – Part II

Apr 1 2015 // Part I of this “nonemployee, employee” mini-series introduced the three types of “employers” and began the discussion regarding what constitutes or creates control. Part II completes the...

Nonemployee ‘Employees:’ The Borrowed Servant Doctrine – Part I

Mar 30 2015 // “The vital test in determining whether a workman furnished by [the primary employer] is a servant of [the special employer] is whether they (the employee(s)) are subject to the “special employer’s”...

Employees Exempt from Workers’ Compensation

Mar 27 2015 // Employee-employer relationships regarding workers’ compensation are complicated by the IRS, industrial commissions, the courts and state statute. Each has its own definition or applies a different test to define...

Louisiana P/C Self-Insurance Program Selects New Contractor

Mar 23 2015 // A new private contractor is being hired to oversee claims processing and loss prevention services for Louisiana’s self-insurance program.The Office of Risk Management announced that Sedgwick Claims Management...

Oklahoma Contractor Charged with Defrauding Moore Tornado Victims

Mar 16 2015 // Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has charged a Tulsa contractor with two felony counts of embezzlement for fraudulent business practices in rebuilding homes damaged by the May 2013 tornado.The AG’s office said...