Oklahoma Appeals Court Upholds Class Action Status for Earthquake Lawsuit

The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals has upheld the class action designation of a lawsuit against an oil company over damage caused by earthquakes near Prague in November 2011, including one of magnitude 5.7.

The court on Friday rejected the appeal of New Dominion LLC in the lawsuit filed by Jennifer Lin Cooper. Three other oil companies originally included in the lawsuit agreed to a settlement in December.

The lawsuit alleges saltwater disposal wells led to the earthquakes. The 5.7 magnitude quake was the largest ever recorded in Oklahoma until a magnitude 5.8 temblor struck near Pawnee in 2016.

The lawsuit would include residents in Lincoln, Payne, Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Okfuskee and Creek counties who had earthquake-related property damage. The area included an estimated 370,500 owner-occupied homes at the time.

Related:

• Oklahoma Quake Lawsuit Against Oil Company Moves to Class-Action Status
• Oklahoma Energy Companies Settle Suit over Earthquake Damage
• Oklahoma Energy Companies Sued Over Earthquake Damage

Topics Lawsuits Catastrophe Natural Disasters Oklahoma