Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-08-11
CHANDELIERS ADVICE ON
COMPENSATION PROBLEMS
For Employers Of Less Than Five
Speaks on Insurance Feature.

A clipping from a Bridgeport pa
per concerning the neglect Of en-
ployers to fill out blanks saying
whether or not they accepted the act
as amended and the annoyance which
resulted thereby to the commission
er, was shown to Compensation
Commissioner George B. Chandler of
the First district Tuesday at Hartford
and he did not think the situation
had more than an academic interest
many employers OF less than five
have insured under the old act.
When the last legislature amended
the act, these employers were auto
maticaIly taken out from under the
compensation act. But section 2 of
provisions whereby an employer OF
less than five persons may come I'M
der the act by taking out insurance,
notifying the commissioner and also
notifying his employees.
Now the question is, what would
happen If such an employer who
had paid his premium in his policy
under the old act should have one
of his men injured and the injured
man sould try to collect compensation
from tie insurance company through
the employer? Suppose neither the
employer nor the insurance company
ha taken any action to notify the COM
missioner or the employees Of the en-
ployer's acceptance Of the new act.
Technically such an employer, al
though insured, would not be under
the new act. Would the injured en-
ploye fail to get his compensation be-
cause of this technicality?
1t is difficult for me to conceive
that any insurance company which
had accepted premium paid in good
faith yam employer would take ad-
vantage of a technicality of this
kind, during the period Of transition
from the original act to the amended
act
"As a matter of fact some insur-
ance companies are following these
cases up closely and I am receiving
a number of notices of the accept
ance of the new act from employers
Of less than five persons. Other COM
panies seem more dilatory. 1t really
is the business Of the agent of the
insurance company to attend to this
clerical work, although the act inn
poses the duty upon the employer.
My practical suggestion to the
employers who are thus insured is
ance companies that they want the
legal technicalities concerning the
filing Of blanks attended to properly
and that the insurance companies use
all possible expedition in getting the
proper blanks in the hands Of the in
sured."
Commissioner Chandler was asked
what motive employers Of less than
five might have for insuring under
the new act.
WELL" said the commissioner, IT
am retaining my insurance partly
from motives of humanity; partly
from motives Of enlightened self
interest. There is satisfaction in
knowing that if any employee gets
hurt, he will draw compensation
and doctors bills from an insurance
company. Moreover, there always
has been some liability resting upon
an employer, even before any compen-
sation act was passed. This is taken
care of by the insurance policy. More
over, by policy, and ! think practically
all similar policies contain a clause
protecting the employer from public
liability because OF injuries sustained
by delivery men or others
Moreover in the case Of farmers and
many other persons whose usual
number Of employees il less than five.
there may come at certain seasons Of
the year a rush period in which the
employer finds himself employing
i've or more persons. An accident, oc-
curing at that time might be the
source Of much trouble and expense
to the employer The premium of
these policies Is relatively small and
my observation is that q very consid-
cradle number Of employers of less
than hve persons are going to insure
and continue under the act"
The commissioner said that no
such case in which the insurance
companies had taken advantage of
this technicalfty, have been contested
before him, but he was under the i'm
preston that various insurance COM
panies had paid compensation on such
policies without question.