Deepwater Horizon rig supervisor asks for separate trial

NEW ORLEANS – A Transocean rig supervisor who was seriously injured in the Deepwater Horizon explosion has requested his case be tried in state court in Texas rather than in the federal court set to begin Feb 27.

Buddy Trahan is one of a dozen employees who have not settled personal injury suits with BP and the rig's minority owners.

Trahan is asking that his case be remanded to the state court system in Texas because the federal system lacks jurisdiction over his damage claims.

The motion reveals a list of injuries Trahan allegedly received in the ordeal including severe burns over 25 percent of his body, a fist sized hole in his neck caused by being propelled into a door hinge, a bone deep slash across his thigh, eight other lacerations, a closed head injury, twelve broken bones and 30 other conditions. The motion states that Trahan has already endured nine surgeries and is likely to see many more.