An attorney who recently settled an earthquake lawsuit against one of two oil and gas companies called it significant because it was the first such legal action linked to earthquakes in Oklahoma.
Scott Poynter, an attorney based in Little Rock, Arkansas represented Sandra Ladra, a woman hurt in the 2011 earthquake in Prague. She sued to companies.
“Spess Oil goes back to doing its work. My client goes back to doing repairs to her home and she’ll be able to do that.”
Spess Oil of Cleveland settled the suit and has resumed normal business operations.
“If your insinuation is that they are a big-time bad actor in terms of injection wells and causing earthquakes, I don’t think they are. And my client doesn’t think they are,” said Poynter in an interview with OK Energy Today.
The suit blamed wastewater well operations by Spess Oil and New Dominion of Tulsa for causing the quake that caused extensive damage throughout Prague and the surrounding area.
As for New Dominion, it has not settled and the case is set to go to trial November 27 in Lincoln County District Court.
“At least with Spess Oil, we think, my client thinks, that they did the right thing and they’re allowing them to move on and it’s allowing my client to move on,” added Poynter.
He also represents others in Oklahoma including some who filed suit following last fall’s large earthquake near Pawnee. A hearing was set for earlier this week in his lawsuit against Eagle Road Oil LLC, Cummings Oil Company and 25 John Does. In the suit, CJ-2017-00018 in Pawnee County District Court, a judge was set to hear a motion by the defendants to have the suit dismissed.
Poynter also represents property owners in Cushing in a lawsuit, CJ-2016-543 filed in Payne County District court.
Listen to Jerry Bohnen’s interview of Scott Poynter.
