North Carolina business owners may find it harder to escape having workers’ compensation coverage after state lawmakers approved a bill closing a legal loophole that had resulted in tens of thousands of employers going without coverage leaving injured workers to fend for themselves. State lawmakers’ approval of HB 273, sponsored by Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, came in the wake of public criticism over the state’s lax efforts to ensure that employers have insurance and that injured workers receive proper medical care and loss wage benefits.