Settlement reached between two Oklahoma oil and gas companies and Prague resident injured in 2011 earthquake by Lili Zheng, October 20, 2017, Oklahoma’s News4
PRAGUE, Okla. — A settlement has been reached between two Oklahoma oil and gas companies and a Prague resident injured during a strong earthquake in November 2011.
Scott Poynter, an Arkansas-based attorney for Gary and Sandra Ladra, confirms a settlement between the Ladra’s and New Dominion, LLC has been reached after three years of legal battles. [Ernst is now into the 11th year of her lawsuit. Chances of the courts allowing Ernst a trial before she dies or runs out of funds appear nil:
- Encana continues to refuse to heed rules of court and file material and relevant records with Ernst as ordered to by the court in summer 2014 (Ernst complied with the order and filed over 2,000 records with Encana);
- Preliminaries are nowhere near complete and will likely be dragged on for years more by the courts and defendants;
- Alberta Environment (since March 2017) is refusing to accept the document exchange protocol agreed to in July 2014 between Encana and Ernst (Justice Neil C Wittmann, Case Management Judge #2 in the Ernst lawsuit, gave the regulator an excellent gift by splitting up the process, resulting in significant added stress for Ernst and wasted time and money for her, while benefiting both Alberta Environment and Encana). Ernst expects Alberta Environment to also violate the rules of court and refuse to file material and relevant records with Ernst. There’s no one with integrity or courage enough to compel either defendant to heed any rules or laws;
- wait times in Alberta to get civil trial dates currently sit at about three years;
- etc etc etc and never mind the Supreme Court of Canada knowingly publishing lies about Ernst, defaming her.]
During the 5.7 magnitude earthquake, Sandra was injured after she recalled “rocks started raining down.” She said it was like nothing she had ever experienced, adding she still needs a knee replacement to this day.
“I really thought we were going to die,” she tells News 4. “I had to have a knee repair surgery where they went in and tried to clean it up and when they went in, there was too much debris and bone chips and stuff.”
The Ladra’s filed the lawsuit against Tulsa-based New Dominion, Spess Oil Co., and 25 unnamed companies in 2014. According to Poynter, who has alleged in the past earthquakes were caused by wastewater disposal wells, Spess Oil settled in July. New Dominion, LLC settled this month; however, details of the settlements remain confidential.
News 4 caught up with the Ladra’s Friday. Sandra said they were relieved to avoid a trial that was scheduled for November.
“I understand from other trials, they can come to conclusion but still get both sides appeal for a long time,” said Sandra. “Right now, I’m trying to get the house started where we could get it livable again. It’s been awful for six years.”
Gary said recovery is a daily process.
“At first we were scared to be in our own home after that happened,” he said. “I’m just hoping that we can reach some point of normalcy; however. what is normal once there’s a change…it never goes back to the original normal.”
News 4 reached to New Dominion, LLC for a statement in light of the settlement. A spokesperson told us their official comment remains ‘no comment.’ [Emphasis added]
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