Sabine Pilot Wrongful Termination Attorneys in Laredo

Laredo, Texas is a city made up of oil and gas workers, agriculturists, and workers in construction and manufacturing businesses. With an almost 2% job growth per year, it is a growing industrial town comprised of people working in a variety of industries.

Of the many business and employment laws in Texas, the state’s at-will employment doctrine is one of the most important. This policy sets forth the notion that a employer can generally hire and fire employees ‘at-will’. But there are exceptions to this rule.

Sabine Pilot claims are one of the most common exceptions to Texas at-will-employment doctrine. Also known as the Illegal Act Exception, the Sabine Pilot rule states that prohibits employers from firing an employee for the sole reason of refusing to commit an illegal act at the behest of your superiors. The important distinction is that the refusal must be the only reason for the firing. A Sabine Pilot wrongful termination attorney in Laredo can help you determine if this exception applies in your case.

In 1985, Michael Hauck appeared before a judge to contest his termination from the shipping company Sabine Pilot Services. Hauck was a deckhand working on a Sabine Pilot boat. His superiors had asked him to dumped the contents of the ship’s bilge into the water surrounding the boat.

Hauck, who noticed signs in the proximity clearly stating that such action was considered an illegal act. He was fired, and contested his firing in court. Eventually, the judge ruled that his refusal of the order was indeed the only reason for his termination, and the Sabine Pilot exception was born.

The Sabine Pilot rule is in place to help those who are unfairly terminated from a job and to protect whistleblowers. Especially in cases of proving an exception when filing an employment lawsuit, Sabine Pilot wrongful termination attorneys in Laredo can help.

To understand the importance of proving your case by enlisting the help of legal representation, and determining whether your case falls under the parameters of the Sabine Pilot exception, we can look at a case involving an unsuccessful Sabine Pilot motion.

Peine v. HIT Services

Joseph Peine, accountant and CFO for HIT Services, was fired after failing to obey instructions from his superiors to fix financial numbers and cover up some of the company’s budgetary shortfalls. They threatened his job if he did not comply, and still he refused.

After he was eventually fired, he took his story to a reporter. This action breached the terms of his employment confidentiality contract, and effectively canceled out his ability to argue the Sabine Pilot exception. In court, HIT Services was able to effectively argue that they waited to terminate employment until after he went to a member of the media with his story.

If he wouldn’t have gone to a reporter, Peine may have been able to invoke the Sabine Pilot rule by contesting that his refusal to engage in dishonest, even illegal financial behavior on behalf of his superiors was the only reason for his firing. In such cases, legal guidance can help prevent you from hindering your own chances to obtain compensation and hold your superiors accountable for employer retaliation.

If you live in Laredo and you believe you may have been involved in a case of wrongful termination, the Laredo employment lawyers from Carabin Shaw want to hear from you.

Our attorneys provide a higher level of service and a dedication to the truth.

Our team of Laredo lawyers are available around the clock to answer your questions. When you call one of our Laredo employment lawyers, we will get back to you within one business day.

Our Sabine Pilot wrongful termination attorneys in Laredo will sit down with you for a free initial consultation. There is a representative from our team ready to take your call anytime over the phone, toll free at 800-862-1260, or you can call our Laredo lawyers directly at 956-333-3333.