What if my employer wants me to sign an agreement after an accident?

Experienced Attorneys Advising Clients on work-related agreements in Hamilton, Trenton, Levittown, Ewing, and across Mercer County Area

If you have been injured at work, your employer may want you to sign an agreement.  Never sign an agreement without speaking with an attorney, no matter how favorable the agreement sounds or how much pressure you are facing from an employer.  

Every day, people wake up and head to work to earn a living for their families and themselves.  Most people work because they have no choice and need income to survive. If you cannot work, it is almost impossible to financially survive and the impact upon your personal life can be devastating. An accident at work can destroy your financial and personal life. 

Accidents/Injuries at Work

Unfortunately, work-related injuries and accidents happen all the time. Whether you work in an office or work on a construction site, you are susceptible to accidents and corresponding injuries.  For example, if you work in an office, you can slip and fall and break a bone and thus need time off of work for recovery and medical treatment. Similarly, if you work in a factory, it is possible for a machine to malfunction and cause you to lose a finger or limb.  In some cases, you can be injured while driving in a work vehicle or become involved in a car accident on company time. After the accident occurs you may be approached by your employer to settle the claim.

Pressure by Employers to Settle a Claim

The accident and injuries are devastating, not only because you have pain, but also because you may not be able to work and are facing increasing pressure to settle a claim with your employer.  Your employer may approach you and offer to pay you a settlement if you sign an agreement. Unfortunately, you and others may feel compelled to sign the agreement out of fear of losing your job or because you need the money.  Do not sign the agreement without speaking to an attorney. 

Why would my employer ask me to sign an agreement?

Your employer is without a doubt in the business of making money, not giving out money.  He wants to protect his own interest in the company and limit his exposure to paying out large sums for injuries.  Keeping this in mind when offered an agreement to settle for injuries sustained on the job will help you understand that he does not have your best interests in mind. Only you have your best interests at heart in the situation.

Even if your employer has insurance, the insurance company, like your employer, is in the business of making money, not spending it.  Therefore, insurance companies and employers alike want to limit their exposure to claims. To do so, they often offer up small sums to cap their ultimate financial exposure related to a work-place accident.  Similarly, while your employer may have insurance, he knows that the higher the payout on a claim or being involved in litigation will expose him to higher premiums and litigation costs against him and his business.  

The Agreement seems favorable to me – Why shouldn’t I sign it?

Simply put, you have no way of knowing whether an agreement is favorable unless you take it to an attorney.  Attorneys have the knowledge and experience needed to carefully evaluate your injuries and the proposed agreement.  

Additionally, you do not know what medical treatment may be necessary or how you will be impacted by your injuries in the future.  What seems like a simple injury can turn out to be more serious over time. Say for example that you cut your finger at the joint while at work.  You go to the hospital and the doctor says that it is a simple fix and that only stitches are needed. Your employer offers you a thousand dollars to cover the bill and to forego any future claims.  Unfortunately, after several months, you notice that you have no feeling in your finger and that it locks into place causing a lack of mobility and severe pain. You can no longer do your job because absolute precision utilizing your hand is necessary. After seeing another doctor, you find out that you severed a tendon and that there is permanent nerve damage and surgery is needed.  You would not be able to recover anything from your employer because you signed that agreement. 

Consult our Hamilton Work Injury Attorneys for answers today

Our attorneys at Cohen & Riechelson will review your claim and correspond with your employer and insurance company.  We will take the burden from you and get the compensation needed. To learn more about the potential for financial compensation through a personal injury claim, please contact us online or call our Mercer County NJ offices today at (215) 337-4915 for a free and confidential consultation.