Cut and Laceration Coverage

What You Need to Know

What the coverage provides:

• Emergency medical treatment, including ER visits and urgent care
• Surgical repair for deep lacerations or severed tendons
• Medications and follow-up care or physical therapy
• Wage replacement, typically around 66% of wages during recovery
• Permanent disability benefits for lasting impairment

Common cut and laceration scenarios come from chef and prep knives (the most frequent source), commercial slicers, mandolins and graters, broken glassware, and can lids or box cutters with overlooked sharp edges.

Why It Matters for Restaurant Owners

Kitchen staff, prep cooks, and dishwashers handle sharp objects hundreds of times per shift, making cuts and lacerations one of the most frequent workplace injuries in the restaurant industry. Deep cuts from commercial slicers or knives can result in permanent disability or loss of dexterity.

The financial and legal reality without workers' comp:

• Employees can sue you directly for medical expenses and lost wages
• You lose the exclusive remedy protection workers' comp normally provides
• Your personal assets — home, savings, and business — are exposed
• State penalties, including fines and potential criminal charges, apply for operating uninsured

Beyond coverage itself, training staff on knife safety, requiring cut-resistant gloves for high-risk tasks, and keeping knives sharp all reduce how often this coverage ever gets used.