From: NY Times
Gary
and Sandra Ladra filed suit against two oil companies over earthquake
damage to their house in Prague, Okla., and injuries she suffered in
2011.
Nick Oxford for The New York Times
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
June 30, 2015
The
Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that homeowners who have sustained
injuries or property damage from rampant earthquakes they say are
caused by oil
and gas operations can sue for damages in state trial courts, rejecting
efforts by the industry to block such lawsuits from being decided by
juries and judges.
The case has been closely
watched both by the energy industry and by fracking opponents across the
United States, and the 7-to-0 ruling opens the door for homeowners in a
state racked by earthquakes to pursue oil and gas companies for
temblor-related damage.
It is the first time
the court has specifically addressed whether plaintiffs could sue for
damage that experts believe is typically caused by massive amounts of
wastewater generated by oil and gas drilling — often involving hydraulic
fracturing, or fracking — that are ultimately injected into underground
disposal reservoirs near fault zones. MORE
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