I am a professional contractor, who used to be a licensed insurance agent, specializing in contruction insurance. So I have a perspective from many sides regarding this topic. First, what many people do not realize is that worker injuries are a no-fault insurance situation. What that means is that if an employee is injured while working, the employer (and their worker's comp insurance) are liable for the injuries. Nothing more, nothing less. It does not matter whether it was the worker's fault for the injuries, a fellow co-worker, or the employer, the employer is responsible. Various state insurance laws, and how an employee is defined, complicate the situation. Your insurance agent and state's insurance commissioner can better guide your paticulat situation. However, the following is a general guideline for various situations. The first question is whether the handyman is an individual or an employee of a company. If it's a company, with multiple employees, the company is required by law (in most states) to have worker's comp insurance, which would cover such injuries. If they do not have worker's comp insurance, contact your state insurance commisioner to report the potential violation and to ask for guidance. If the handyman is an individual, they likely don't have worker's comp insurance, and most states do not require it. If they have health insurance and the injury is minor, hopefully, their health insurance will cover their injuries. However, even if they have health insurance, you will likely still be liable for the injuries, based on your state's insurance laws and the definition of an employee. In the case of an individual handyman without insurance (and possibly in the case of a company without worker's comp), your homeowner's insurance should cover the injuries. Most homeowner's policies are a combination policy that include worker's comp coverage for occasional labor. For example, someone who cleans your house once a week would be considered occasional labor and would be covered. A lived-in maid would not be considered occasional and would not be covered. If the above applies, talk to your homeowner's insurance agent for specifics about your policy and guidance (and to file a claim, if necessary). There is one important exception that impacts contractors and homeowners who hire contractors. If a subcontractor, including a handyman, is contracted by a general contractor, and that individual or company does not have worker's comp insurance, some states require the general contractor's worker comp policy to cover the injury claims. So, as a homeowner, you can approach the GC to submit a claim. However, if the individual/subcontractor contracts directly with the homeowner, not through the GC, the GCs insurance will not provide coverage. This can get tricky and different state laws will impact this situation. If this scenario may apply, I would recommend contacting your state's insurance commissioner for guidance. Note to General Contractors: Always verify the worker's comp insurance of your subs to avoid the above scenario. If you find yourself in this situation, not only will your insurance and experience-modification get dinged, you may need to pay an additional premium to cover the sub's payroll. That's usually an unpleasant surprise. Please note that the above information is a general guideline. Each state has different insurance laws so there will be many variations. If you find yourself in the situation in which someone is claiming injuries from work that they did on your premises, I strongly recommend a call to the state's insurance commissioner for guidance. They are impartial and know the state's insurance laws. If you may need to file a claim through your homeowner's insurance, be aware that there may be reporting deadlines to preserve your rights. It's worth filing the claim with your insurance and having them pay nothing, rather than having a claim denied because you waited too long.