Hello. I am going to be looking for a painter to paint the trim of my
house. What should I look for regarding insurance? My neighbor had
someone fix her roof and he fell off his ladder and broke his arm.
The
company he worked for denied his work comp claim stating he is an
independent contractor, so he sued my neighbor for medical and lost
time.
She went through hell before he stopped pursuing the claim and I want
to
be protected from this. Thanks

Hire a licensed contractor. Have their insurance company send you a copy of
their certificate. DO NOT accept one from the contractor, as they are easy
to fake. That being said, the insurance will cover the worker. But, they
can still sue your homeowner's policy for damages if they can prove that you
caused an unsafe condition while they were on the project. Bottom line,
they will sue if they smell money. End of story ......... they may not
collect, but it will cost you a lot to defend yourself. Many insurance
companies just settle to take the shortest solution. Good luck.

And people wonder why some prefer to use cheap day laborers for menial work.

Steve