Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, L.L.P. File Class Action Lawsuit for Fracking Damages in Johnson County, TX

Dan and Jan Marie Finn and Ed and Norma Specht filed a lawsuit on behalf of a class of real property owners of Johnson County, Texas, for real estate bounded by Thompson Road/CR 615, Brent Road/CR 616, Gina Lane/CR 513, and FM 2738 for damages and restitution against EG Resources, Inc., Shell Trading (US) Company, Sunoco Partners Marketing & Terminals L.P., Enterprise Crude Oil LLC f/k/a TEPPCO Crude Oil, LLC. The attorneys for the Finns and Spechts are R. Christopher Cowan of The Cowan Law Firm of Dallas, Texas and Patrick W. Pendley and Jessica A. Perez of Pendley, Baudin and Coffin, L.L.P. of Plaquemine and New Orleans, Louisiana.

The action seeks to recover damages from the defendants, who own and operate numerous natural gas gathering systems in the Newark, East (Barnett Shale) field, where the affected area is located. The hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" method which the defendants undertook to extract natural gas has caused earthquakes, ground subsidence and other seismic activity. These activities have damaged resident's real property and their improvements, and in some cases, unrepairable foundation damage to the plaintiffs' homes.

According to Patrick Pendley, an attorney with Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, L.L.P., similar suits have been filed across the country in states where fracking activities have been going on for some time. Addressing the allegations made in the lawsuit, Mr. Pendley stated that the claims being asserted in this case are purely for damage to property on the surface of the land. That is, physical damage to the building caused by the movement of the ground when fracking occurs. No personal injury claims are being made by the Finns or the Spechts. Recently, fracking activities close to populated areas has attracted much attention. In fact, in northern Arkansas, fracking in the Haynesville Shale was ordered stopped because of the increasing number of earthquakes being reported.

The fracking process involves drilling down around 4,000 feet then turning horizontal for several thousand feet. Water and chemicals are then injected into the hole and the pressure is increased to the point that the shale rock fractures, releasing oil and gas trapped in the shale. At the point the shale fractures, a person on the surface can feel the shale breaking apart by the vibration through the ground.

While the oil and gas companies have the right to drill for oil and gas, they do not have the right to destroy other people's property in the process. The companies need to take responsibility for their actions.

If  your property has physical damage to the building caused by movement of the ground when fracking occurs, contact the attorneys of Pendley, Baudin and Coffin, L.L.P. to have your case evaluated.  Please fill out the claim form below.