Marine Workers: Do Not Sign Legal Paperwork After an Injury!

The time after an injury can be the most difficult in your life. You may have never been injured before, but now you are facing medical procedures, money issues, and family and work crises. 

Your company will probably tell you that if you sign certain legal documents, they can help you out monetarily. Do not sign anything. These are some of the types of documents that you will see, and why you don’t want to sign them.

1. Releases

Your company may try to get you to sign a full release of responsibility for your injury. Most times they will offer you a small amount of money to induce you to sign. Many companies may do this while you are still in the hospital, on painkillers, or undergoing significant monetary stress. Never give up your right to a lawsuit against your company until you have spoken to an attorney. Companies will never give you full or fair value for your case on their own. 

2. Arbitration Agreements

Your company may try and get you to sign an arbitration agreement. Most times, like with releases, they will offer you money to get you to sign. It might seem harmless, but an arbitration agreement can be very harmful to your case. It means you are waiving your right to a jury trial, and instead of your case going in front of an impartial judge, it will go in front of an arbitrator who will have handled hundreds of these kinds of cases for the company before. In other words, you will likely get someone biased handling your claim, instead of an impartial judge and jury. 

3. Venue/Forum Selection Agreements

Your company may try and get you to sign an agreement that states where you can file a lawsuit. Again, they will offer you money to get you to sign this kind of agreement. Even though it may not seem like a big deal, the location of where you file your lawsuit can have an enormous impact on your case. It can change what law applies, how likely you are to get a jury that understands your plight, and how likely you are to get a jury that awards significant damages. 

In summary, never sign any legal document your company provides after a workplace injury without consulting an attorney first. Doing so may sacrifice millions of dollars in potential recovery. VB Attorneys understands the complexities of your case. Contact our team at (713) 224-7800 for a free consultation.