Do not Sign Anything that You Have Not Written or that You Do Not Understand
Following a work injury, an employer will conduct a very brief investigation and may ask you to complete an injury report or statement? If you write the statement and it’s all in your handwriting, there’s no real reason to refuse to comply with your employer’s request to sign documents. On the other hand, if part of the report is not in your writing or, you do not understand what you are signing, YOU SHOULD NOT SIGN IT! By signing a document that is not your handwriting, your employer could later argue that your read and understood what was on the report and agreed to adopt the version of the facts that was written by someone else. The best thing to do is to request a new blank form that you can fill out all in your writing, sign and date it and request a copy for yourself. This way, your employer could never argue that you adopted someone else’s version of how your work injury occurred. If your employer will not agree to let fill out a new form, you should refuse to sign it!
Signing Documents in Exchange for An Agreement to Provide Medical Treatment
Claim documents for medical treatment should be easy to complete but often times, they require you to complete a new form that details the facts of the work incident that resulted in your injuries. This is another attempt by the insurance company to create inconsistencies in the story. Negligent employers love to muddy up the water so they can argue that you are a liar or a malingerer. Again, if you don’t understand the form, do not complete or sign the documents unless you have sought assistance or the advice of a work injury lawyer. DO NOT LET YOUR EMPLOYER PRESSURE YOU INTO SIGNING ANYTHING THAT YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH 100%. You have a right to request counsel from someone qualified to interpret claim documents related to work injuries. It should not take very long to find a work injury lawyer that can help you understand what you could be agreeing to by signing certain claim documents. In the end, you just have to make sure that you are not jeopardizing your ability to get fully compensated for the injuries that you have suffered.
Do Not Sign Anything That Appears to Release Your Employer of Liability?
Believe it or not, supervisors, managers and insurance adjusters are trained to attempt to have injured workers sign a release of liability in exchange for treatment or a nominal payment. Do not be fooled into doing so. You may have rights to more than just medical treatment and, you should consult someone who can advise you of those rights before you waive your right to file a claim against your employer for full compensation.
It is important that you understand your rights as an injured worker before you agree to sign anything. Your employer and their insurance are trained to focus doing what is necessary to train the company. Their lawyers have already provided them with the training necessary to limit the exposure of the company to lawsuits. When you are facing them alone, you are climbing an uphill battle in the mud. Do not be taken advantage of. Get the work injury advise that you deserve.
Sandoval Law Firm, PLLC handles work injury cases of all types. We are ready to discuss your work injury case when you are! Call (346) 347-7777 for a free and informative consultation with one of our workers compensation lawyers!
Non-Subscriber Claim Process
- Do I Have A Good Texas Worker’s Compensation Case?
- What if my worker’s compensation claim is denied, Can I still sue my employer for negligence?
- What steps should I take to protect my rights?
- What kind of Work Injury Coverage Can My Employer Have?
- What are Texas Non-Subscribers?
- What is the likelihood that my employer is a Texas Non-subscriber?
- How are Workers’ Compensation Claims Different from Non-subscriber Claims?
- Should I Go On FMLA In My Workers’ Compensation or Non-Subscriber Case?
- Should I Sign Any Documents From my Employer after I’ve Suffered a Work Injury?
- Should I Apply for Short-Term or Long-Term Disability In My Texas Non-Subscriber Case?
- What Is an employment benefit plan or summary plan description?
- How Much Time do I have to file my non-subscriber Claim?
- How soon so I have to report my injury?
- Why Can’t I Get A Response from the Claims adjuster?
- The Role of the Adjuster in Texas Non-Subscriber Cases?
- How Can Your Work Injury Claim in Texas Be Rejected?
- Can A Texas Work Injury Case Be Resolved In Less Than A Year?
- Why Was My Claim Denied?
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