"Steve B" writes:
"Dan_Musicant" wrote in message
...
I've made arrangements to have my water main replaced by a licensed
plumbing contractor in CA. I just met him last night and the work isn't
going to start for a week, so I can back out of this if I call him today
or tomorrow easily enough. I have another decent bid and I could go with
them (a pretty large company).

I just looked up his license and he's a sole owner and it says "This
license is exempt from having workers compensation insurance; they
certified that they have no employees at this time."

He said he'd try to hire a tough competent guy to help with the
trenching. What happens if that guy is hurt on the job? Am I going to be
liable?

TIA for information.

Dan

Good grief, Dan! I hate the words "should" and "probably" and the likes.

With all the frivolous litigations going on, your state being one of the
leaders, (no offense), why would you want to even mess with someone you have
any doubts about?

To save some money perhaps?

Imagine the worst thing that can happen. Someone gets killed. You think
ANYONE is going to give you a walk? I doubt it.

Take everything you own. Pile it in the house. Spread five gallons of gas
on it. If there is an accident, that's what's gonna happen to all your
stuff.

Insist that your CONTRACTOR'S INSURANCE CARRIER send DIRECTLY TO YOU a copy
of their current in force policy. Don't accept it from your contractor, as
they can be and are faked easily.

I know that technically that is the right thing and I would do that
for a big project. But do people really do that for every small job?
Presumably the liability from a fall is the same whether fixing one
shingle or redoing the whole roof? Just it seems to me that it is hard
enough sometimes getting someone even without doing that...

What happens with so-called "handy men"? Even after spending mega
bucks on big projects, my folks who are now getting on in age use a
handy man for the small things. Presumably, the same liability would
apply if he fell off a ladder or shocked himself, etc. Right?

Damn this litigous society. If someone you hired (who defacto is
claiming expertise in such services hurts himself), he should be 100%
responsible unless you were grossly negligent. Even then, as a
professional I would expect him to recognize such dangers in advance
and take precautions unless again you were grossly negligent and the
dangers were completely hidden and undisclosed. If he chooses not to
buy insurance that should be his fault. end of soapbox

This is a big deal. Do it right. Your ass is the only one on the line you
should be concerned about.

Steve