Who is a Class Member
The Oklahoma Quakes class action settlement includes “all persons who own or owned commercial or residential real property in any or some combination of Lincoln, Payne, Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Okfuskee, and/or Creek counties in Oklahoma or have or had a property interest therein between November 5, 2011 and November 16, 2018, and which suffered earthquake damages from earthquakes with epicenters within 15 miles of Prague, Oklahoma, including but not limited to, those occurring between November 5, 2011 and November 8, 2011.”
If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other class action settlements you may be eligible for.
Settlement Amount
- $925,000.00
Estimated Award
- VARIES depending on damages
Proof of Purchase
- You will need to provide evidence of damages, including repair bills, estimates, or photos.
Claim Form
Oklahoma Quakes Settlement Notes
- Cooper v. New Dominion, Spess Oil Company, et al.
- Case No. CJ-2015-24
- Pending in the District Court of Lincoln County, Oklahoma
Plaintiff Jennifer Lin Cooper filed this class action lawsuit over damages her and other class members’ homes suffered because of earthquakes caused by New Dominion, Spess Oil Co., and other defendant’s operations of wastewater disposal wells (also known as injection wells).
According to the complaint, over the past several years, thousands of earthquakes have occurred within Central Oklahoma, which were only recently tied to the injection well operations of the defendants. Indeed, in 2014, Oklahoma had more than twice the number of earthquakes as California and scientists attribute these Oklahoma quakes to the disposal of wastewater related to fracking operations, which the oil and gas industry use to release trapped oil and gas. The waste fluids generated from fracking are often disposed of by injecting the polluted fluids back into the earth under extreme pressure into injection wells.
Cooper, who lives near Prague, Oklahoma says her home suffered over $100,000 in earthquake damage because of three of these man-made earthquakes which each registering between 5.0 – 5.7 in magnitude. Some of the alleged damage included cracked and broken sheetrock above every door, the chimney fell away from the house to the ground, the brick facing of her home cracked in multiple places and fell to the ground, floor tiles were cracked, countertops were displaced, windows were shaken loose, and bathtubs had shaken from the wall.
These earthquakes also reportedly destroyed many homes, damaged buildings, injured people, and buckled pavement on the streets and highways near Prague.
The Defendants deny any liability or wrongdoing. Complete details about the case and settlement are provided on the Oklahoma Quakes settlement website.
Class members who wish to object to the Oklahoma Quakes settlement must do so by January 8, 2019. Class members who wish to exclude themselves must do so by December 31, 2018.
Class members who wish to participate in the settlement must submit a claim form on or before April 29, 2019.
Important Dates
- 4/29/19: Claim Form Deadline
- 1/8/19: Objection Deadline
- 12/31/18: Exclusion Deadline
- 1/18/19: Final Hearing at 9:30 am CT* (class members do not need to attend this hearing in order to receive a slice of the settlement pie).
*Settlement Class Members who wish to speak at the hearing should check the settlement website at www.OklahomaQuakes.com to confirm that the date or time of the Hearing has not been changed.
Contact Information
- Mail: Cooper v. New Dominion, Spess Oil Company, et al., Attn: Settlement Administrator – Angeion Group, 1650 Arch Street, Suite 2210, Philadelphia, PA 19103
- Phone: 1-877-450-8811
Class Counsel
- Scott Poynter of Poynter Law Group
Settlement Website
- www.OklahomaQuakes.com