Alishahi InsuranceIndependent Insurance Broker
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Who insures it · 3 named markets · read 2026-10-28

Who insures Workers' compensation for high-mod employers and new ventures?

Workers' compensation for high-mod employers and new ventures is a risk most standard carriers decline on sight. The markets below say in their own published appetite or program pages that they write it; each line links to that page with the date it was read.

3 markets publicly write Workers' compensation for high-mod employers and new ventures: Burns & Wilcox, Normandy Insurance, Amwins. 2 wholesalers, 1 admitted carrier.

By Sam Alishahi, independent insurance broker

The markets

Who says they write it

From each market's own appetite, product or program page (or a trade article quoting it), read on the date shown. Appetites change: the linked page controls. A market listed here isn't necessarily one this agency is appointed with; a licensed broker reaches most of them directly or through a wholesaler.

MarketWhat they say they writeWherePaperSource
Burns & Wilcox
Wholesaler		Workers' compensation brokerage with high experience mods considered, new venture risks, preferred low-hazard to complex higher-hazard and multi-state risks across auto repair, contractors, hotels, manufacturing, office, restaurants, retail, service, trucking and wholesale.
“High experience mods considered”		not statednot statedburnsandwilcox.com · read 2026-10-28
Normandy Insurance
Admitted carrier		In-house and brokerage workers' compensation: hard-to-place construction risks, new-in-business accounts (with resume showing 3 years experience), officer-only and ghost policies, staffing/PEO options, access to 40+ carriers.
“New in business acceptable”		in-house: AL, AR, CT, DC, FL, GA, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA; brokerage: 46 states plus DC (excl. ND, NY, WI, WY)not statednormandyins.com · read 2026-10-28
Amwins
Wholesaler		AmeriComp multi-market workers' compensation: new ventures accepted, credit to debit experience modifications, appetite for tough classes including cannabis, construction and transportation.
“New ventures accepted”		not statednot statedamwins.com · read 2026-10-28

Omaha National's WC appetite guide PDF is image-only (no extractable text). ICW Group, EMPLOYERS, Berkshire Hathaway GUARD, Pie, Accident Fund, Zenith, BHHC, AmTrust, AMERISAFE, Summit, Eastern Alliance, Texas Mutual, LWCC, Preferred Employers (peiwc.com) and Ascot/AmFed pages do not state high-mod or new-venture appetite. Midwestern Insurance Alliance pages rendered empty; Clear Spring, Patriot Underwriters and Methods Insurance domains did not resolve; Applied Underwriters site has no product pages; Benchmark site is a claims TPA. Normandy brokerage state list derived from the page's list of

How Workers' compensation for high-mod employers and new ventures gets placed

Standard markets first where any will look at it; when they won't, the placement goes through surplus lines, where a licensed surplus lines broker places it with an eligible non-admitted insurer and files the state's surplus lines tax and stamping forms. In California, risks on the Department of Insurance export list can go to surplus lines without the usual diligent search of admitted carriers. Surplus lines policies aren't backed by a state guaranty fund, so the insurer's financial rating matters more.

What an underwriter will want before quoting: a full description of the operation, years in business and the owners' experience, revenue or payroll, loss runs (five years where available, currently valued), the contracts or venue requirements that set the limits, and photos or safety plans where the hazard is physical.

I'm licensed in 49 states and Washington, DC and your request stays with my agency, not passed to another agent. In Florida, where my licenses are still being issued, a partner agency in your state helps in the meantime.

Check who's likely to insure yours

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A few minutes to request the quote; it reaches the markets that take Workers' compensation for high-mod employers and new ventures, and the answers come back by email.

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