Guides / COI basics

Employers' Liability Limits on a COI: What the Three Numbers Mean

By SubCover HQ · Updated Nov 3, 2026 · 3 min read

The workers' compensation section of an ACORD 25 certificate has a second part that's easy to skip: employers' liability, shown as three separate limits. If you require workers' comp from subs, these three numbers deserve a look too.

Workers' comp vs. employers' liability

A standard workers' compensation policy has two main parts. Part One pays the benefits state law requires when an employee is hurt on the job, and it has no dollar limit you choose; the state sets the benefits. Part Two, employers' liability, covers the employer when it's sued over an employee's injury in ways workers' comp benefits don't settle, for example a claim by a spouse, or a third-party-over action where an injured worker sues you and you then pull the sub's company into the suit. Part Two does have limits, and those are the three numbers on the certificate.

The three limits

• E.L. each accident: the most the policy pays for all bodily injury from one accident.
• E.L. disease, each employee: the most it pays for occupational disease for any one employee.
• E.L. disease, policy limit: the most it pays for all disease claims during the policy period.

Common minimums

Standard policies are often written at $100,000 each accident, $100,000 disease for each employee, and $500,000 disease policy limit unless the insured buys more. Many contracts require at least $500,000 for each of the three, and higher-risk jobs often require $1,000,000 each. Your contract and your insurance professional set the real number; our limits guide covers how to tier requirements.

Why umbrella policies care

An umbrella or excess policy usually sits over employers' liability as well as general liability and auto, and it often requires specific underlying limits, commonly $500,000 or $1,000,000 per item. If your contract requires an umbrella that sits over employers' liability, the employers' liability limits underneath should meet what that umbrella expects. Our umbrella vs. excess guide explains how those layers stack.

What to check on the certificate

1. All three employers' liability boxes are filled in, not blank.
2. Each limit meets your written requirement.
3. The workers' comp policy dates cover the job.
4. The box asking whether any proprietor, partner, or officer is excluded makes sense for the sub. A sole owner who excludes themselves and has no employees may effectively have no coverage for the crew you'll see.
5. In monopolistic states, employers' liability often comes from a separate stop gap endorsement on the GL policy rather than from the state fund policy.

Key takeaways

Employers' liability is the part of a workers' comp policy with real dollar limits, and it protects against lawsuits that comp benefits don't resolve. Require a specific limit for each of the three numbers and check them on every certificate. SubCover HQ checks every limit on every certificate, chases the gaps, and tracks renewals for $99/month.

Frequently asked questions

What are the three employers' liability limits on a COI?

E.L. each accident, E.L. disease for each employee, and E.L. disease policy limit. Together they cap Part Two of the workers' comp policy.

What employers' liability limits should I require from subs?

Many contracts require at least $500,000 for each of the three, and higher-risk work often requires $1,000,000 each. Your contract and insurance professional decide.

Is employers' liability the same as workers' comp?

No. Workers' comp pays state-required benefits to injured employees. Employers' liability covers lawsuits over employee injuries that those benefits don't settle.

This guide is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Your insurance professional and attorney determine what you should require.