In California consumers may request to see evidence of workers’ compensation coverage before they engage a moving company. Consumers can be liable for any work-related injury occurring on their property to an employee of an uninsured employee of a moving company. In this situation they can find themselves with no coverage under their homeowner’s or renters liability policy.
“Persons moving in California need to make sure their movers have proper workers’ compensation insurance,” says Steve Weitekamp, President of the California Moving & Storage Association. Properly licensed moving companies with workers’ compensation coverage incur significant costs to insure their employees. This coverage protects not only the mover and their employees but also, just as important, the customer.
The California Public Utilities Commissions (CPUC), which regulates moving companies, requires as a condition of the licensure that they have on file a copy of that company’s Workers’ Compensation Certificate.
The California Moving and Storage Association (CMSA) strongly recommends verifying that the moving company you are considering is CPUC permitted and has all proper insurance these include Workers Compensation as well as Cargo and General Liability.
The Internet has many uninsured movers preying on consumers. Do not book your move with an on-line broker make sure the moving company you are considering is a “real” business. Do not allow your self to be victim and remember if the price seems too low there will be a catch somewhere along the line.
Consumers are urged to make an informed choice when selecting a moving/storage company. In an effort to help consumers make an informed choice the CMSA has started a program called ProMover. ProMover is the moving industry’s consumer protection and certification program designed to fight fraud by giving consumers a way to identify quality professional moving companies. Look for the ProMover Logo when shopping for a moving company.
For more information, call the CMSA consumer hotline at (800) 672-1415 or visit the website at www.thecmsa.org.