British Petroleum Pulls Waiver Forms Asking Louisiana Fisherman to Sign Away Rights to Sue

First, BP has a drilling platform that it cannot shut down. Second, BP requests the local fisherman help with the oil cleanup and prevention operation. Third, the fishermen agree, because their way of life is at stake. In exchange for the fishermen's offers of help, BP issues a standard full release of liability to the fishermen. Whoops! Realizing its mistake and hearing a lot of complaints, BP has pulled the forms.

British Petroleum has withdrawn one of its waiver forms after fishermen in Venice, a town bracing for the arrival of an oil slick from the company's leaking rig, complained BP was trying to “pull the wool over our eyes” by asking them to sign away all rights to sue.

The waiver form was distributed Saturday at a Venice public school, where the company was offering a health and safety class for locals whom it says it will hire. Though a spokeswoman said the company does not yet know exactly what positions it's hiring for, it was accepting applications and, with them, the signed waivers.

Source: The Globe and Mail