A growing number of class action lawsuits have been filed by people who say fracking is causing water contamination and earthquakes that are powerful enough to cause property damage.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting fracking induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know had earthquake damage or water contamination, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Oil & Gas Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Texas Family Awarded $3 Million in Fracking Lawsuit
In April 2014, $3 million was awarded to a family in Texas who experienced severe health problems when 50 oil and gas wells opened within a 2-mile radius of their ranch.
Overview
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” is a controversial way of removing oil and natural gas from shale deposits. Fracking involves injecting water, sand, and chemicals deep underground to crack the shale and release the gas.
Fracking and Earthquakes
Fracking causes extremely small earthquakes, but they are almost always too small to be a safety concern. Larger earthquakes are associated with wastewater injection wells used to dispose of the water, toxic chemicals, radioactive waste, and hazardous fluids.
Fracking and Water Contamination
The EPA has identified several ways fracking can contaminate water supplies:
- Failing to treat wastewater
- Releasing wastewater on land or streams
- Fracking directly into aquifers or drinking water resources
- Spilling fracking fluids or wastewater
- Toxic liquids migrating underground over long distances
Water Contamination Class Action Filed in Arkansas
In 2011, several class action lawsuits were filed in Arkansas by residents who say fracking operations contaminated with drinking water. The class action represents everyone in Arkansas who lived within a 3-mile radius of and gas-extraction activity.
Earthquake Class Action Filed in Oklahoma
A class action lawsuit was filed by residents of Oklahoma after two earthquakes of 4.0-magnitude or greater hit the state. Before 2009, there were an average of two earthquakes in Oklahoma of 3.0-magnitude or greater. In 2015, there were 907.
What is the problem?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is nationally recognized as a class action law firm, but we are not filing a fracking class action at this time. Instead, we are filing individual lawsuits for people who had water contamination, property damage, or injuries in earthquakes.
About Class Actions
Class actions improve efficiency when a lot of people have similar legal claims. The problem with class actions is that they are not designed to maximize compensation for individuals with the most serious injuries or financial losses.
Why Our Law Firm is Filing Individual Lawsuits as Opposed to a Class Action
There are a wide variety of legal claims associated with fracking operations — severe health problems, contaminated drinking water, lost property value — which is why they must be handled individually.
Instead of a class action, we are filing individual lawsuits against fracking operators who cause earthquakes or contaminate wells. If you decide to file a lawsuit, you could receive compensation for your medical expenses, property losses, and more.
Do I have a Fracking Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting fracking induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know had earthquake damage or water contamination, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Oil & Gas Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.