Trial by Jury: When Oil Rig Injury Claims Go to Court

There is a wide variety of circumstances to consider when filing a claim for an injury suffered while working on an offshore oil rig. In some cases, your claim may settle out of court and never have to consider applying maritime or Jones Act Law. Other times, when negligence plays a large part in the cause of your accident, you may find yourself before a judge and a jury.

If your claim falls under the jurisdiction of the federal court, you have the right to decide whether or not your case is heard by a judge alone or if a jury will be present.

If your claim is brought to state court, especially in Louisiana, the defendant (normally your employer) also has the right to a trial by jury. This means if you request that your case is only heard by a judge, the employer can demand trial by jury instead.

The inclusion of a jury in the settlement of your offshore oil rig injury claim can be a deciding factor of a fair settlement for your damages. There are pros and cons to a jury trial which an attorney who focuses on maritime law and Jones Act claims can explain.

Knowing how your location on an oil platform versus a barge/ship when you suffered your injury is important. Different laws govern different worksite locations for maritime injuries, and this can have a substantial impact on how to handle your case. You should speak with a Louisiana maritime law attorney for additional help. 

Contact a Louisiana Maritime Law Attorney 

Maritime law provides you with certain protections your employer may not want you to know about. A maritime law attorney from The Young Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana can help you if you have suffered maritime offshore accident injuries in a horrible diving accident or other accident that falls under maritime law or the Jones Act.

Though we are based in Louisiana, we are ready and able to help injured victims throughout the U.S. Order our free Maritime Injury Law guide and/or our guide to what to do when you are injured offshore to learn all about your rights as an injured worker.

When you are ready to get started with your Jones Act injury case, we urge you to contact us today for a FREE case evaluation - call 1-504-680-4100 or toll free at 1-866-938-6113.