On November 17, 2016, a class action lawsuit alleging damages from induced seismicity was filed in Oklahoma state court. The lawsuit, filed in Pawnee County, alleges that Oklahoma injection wells caused an induced seismic event on September 3, 2016, resulting in damages to the plaintiff class. The petition seeks recovery for alleged physical damages to real and personal property, market value losses to real property, emotional distress, and punitive damages.
The petition names two defendants, but also includes 25 unnamed oil and natural gas companies “that have engaged in injection well operations in and around Pawnee . . .” The plaintiffs seek recovery on theories of absolute liability, negligence, trespass, and private nuisance and additionally request punitive damages. The case is Adams v. Eagle Road Oil LLC, CJ-2016-78 (filed Nov. 17, 2016).