Oklahoma earthquake lawsuit gets class-action status
The Associated Press and The Oklahoman - May 22, 2018 1:24 pm
Remaining bricks from the chimney of a Lincoln County home are knocked away after it was toppled during an earthquake in 2011. Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman archives
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – An Oklahoma lawsuit accusing an oil company of being responsible for damage caused by earthquakes in 2011 has gained class-action status and will go to trial.
The Oklahoman reports that a judge ruled Friday the class includes citizens with property in nine central Oklahoma counties that were damaged by the earthquakes near Prague.
The lawsuit alleges that New Dominion LLC’s wastewater disposal operations caused a trio of earthquakes in November 2011. The quakes included a magnitude 5.7, which was the strongest quake in recorded state history until 2016.
Scott Poynter is an attorney for the affected home and business owners. He says he intends to prove “the science behind induced seismicity.”
The trial is scheduled to begin in September.
New Dominion declined to comment Monday citing pending litigation.
