Court Ruling Could Mean Avoid Employer Label Now, Pay More Damages Later

In most cases involving catastrophic injury and temp agencies, insurance carriers are quick to say their policyholder is not the true employer and should be off the hook for a lifetime of medical care and benefits. But a ruling this month by the 8th District Texas Court of Appeals, in El Paso, threatens to upend the age-old approach. Insurers that make such an argument could be liable for millions more in civil damages in third-party negligence lawsuits. That’s the assessment by several insurance defense attorneys after the Texas appeals court on Jan. 11 handed ...