Class Action Lawsuit Against Energy Answers
There are many class action lawsuits over injuries to consumers due to unsafe work environments. There have also been class action lawsuits on behalf of people killed or injured in car accidents due to the negligence of other drivers on the road. These lawsuits are typically won by the defendant (the company, entity, etc) in a court trial.
Piping Rock Class Action Lawsuit
Claims Against Pipes/ Tanks for Injuries Class Action Lawsuits: The United States Department of Labor has recently launched a new program, titled “OSHA Pipeline Safety Training.” This program is designed to train pipeline and tank employees on safe work practices. This program is designed to reduce the number of pipeline and tank injuries or fatality that may occur as a result of the safety training. There are currently four such class action cases being litigated in Texas as of this writing. These include cases against Talisman Energy Corporation, Kiewa Energy Services, Energy Answers, and Ellis Construction Company (Ellis Builders).
In the Talisman Energy case, plaintiffs’ injury claims against the Talisman Energy Corporation were allegedly caused as a result of their having neglected to properly train their pipeline employees in the operation of their machinery.
The pipeline company was supposedly aware of the hazards of operating the machinery, but failed to take measures to mitigate those hazards. As a result, the plaintiffs alleged that they suffered injuries as a result of being exposed to dangerous levels of fumes and other contaminants during the course of work at the Talisman Energy Corporation’s operations. A similar case is being litigated in regards to Kiewa Energy Services. Similar to the Ellis Builders case, the plaintiffs in these lawsuits claim that they suffered injuries as a result of the Kiewa Energy Services’ negligence in hiring unqualified individuals to operate their machines.
On a related note, there is also currently a class action lawsuit against Energy Answers, alleging that the pipeline companies did not conduct adequate studies prior to approving the Energy Answers pipeline.
As a result of this complaint, there is now a requirement that pipeline companies conduct such studies within three years of applying for a federal permit to construct the pipeline. In addition to this requirement, there is now a further requirement that any studies submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency be signed by an accredited EPA environmental analyst. As with Kiewa Energy Services, Energy Answers has also been sued by Kiewa Energy Services. There are also additional claims being filed against pipeline companies by individual pipeline contractors who have contracted work on the Energy Answers project.
There are also lawsuits being filed in state courts in California and Montana, claiming that the Energy Answers project is illegal because it violates both state and federal laws.
For example, the California law says that a project must be implemented in a “safe and efficient” manner. The state court in Montana holds that any project that will disturb the natural processes of the environment must be carefully regulated. In addition to these two states, there are currently lawsuits in UK, Ireland, India, Italy, Canada, South Africa, Pakistan, Australia, France, Norway and Sweden. In the United States, the Northwest Tribes of Eribusquia, Oregon, and the United States Virgin Islands are attempting to obtain compensation for the potential loss of cultural heritage, habitat and fishing rights that are related to the tribes’ use of federally managed salmon and shellfish harvesting areas. There is currently no timeline to determine when these cases will conclude.
One thing to keep in mind when looking at this lawsuit, is that pipeline companies must provide safe water for the general public.
This is why it is so important to understand what must be done to ensure the project’s success and why it is not always in the best interest of the public to build these pipelines. If you would like more information about your rights as a victim of Enron and other similar corporations, please visit the website below. It is a great resource that you can count on for all of your oil and gas related class action lawsuit needs.