DESOUZA LAW CONTINUES ITS PURSUIT AGAINST CHESAPEAKE ENERGY CORP OVER IMPACT OF INJURED MEN

DALLAS, Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys for DeSouza Law, P.C., of San Antonio, Texas continue to pursue litigation against Chesapeake Energy Corp, an independent exploration oil and energy exploration company, following its January 29, 2020, oil well explosion. Three men passed away, one was severely burned, and three others suffered severe physical injuries and significant emotional trauma from trying to save other men injured during the blow out.  

Attorneys from DeSouza Law are battling Chesapeake to help three men obtain financial compensation for what they endured, and will continue to endure, as the company battles back by minimizing their own wrong-doing and scrutinizing the men's injuries instead of dutifully recognizing their heroism.

The explosion took place in Burlson County, Texas, at an oil well operated and controlled by Chesapeake Energy Corp. It was learned that the oil well had been gassing all day as the men were taking off an old blowout preventer and installing a new one. Courthouse records show that these men told Chesapeake's representative that the well was gassing, and Chesapeake's onsite representative told them to keep working despite knowing that the gassy well could explode. The men kept working as Chesapeake instructed, and it exploded – killing, burning, and injuring numerous men. It was later learned during the initial trial discovery phase that the integrity of the oil well was compromised on several fronts, which led to the well continuing to burn for twenty-four hours underground after the initial explosion occurred.

Additionally, according to the petition, Chesapeake Energy Corp had a strict double barrier policy in place to prevent oil and gas from reaching the surface. Despite this, Chesapeake instructed the workers to only establish one barrier between the underground oil and gas and the surface instead of two. Chesapeake further instructed the workers to establish that one barrier with only brine water - even though it is well known throughout the industry that any barrier established in this way is only temporary in nature. A mechanical barrier, such as a plug or packer, is far superior at preventing blowouts than a brine water barrier. However, one barrier is less expensive than two barriers and brine water is less expensive than installing a mechanical barrier. Had Chesapeake installed the mechanical barrier and followed its own two barrier policy, the oil and gas would have never reached the surface, the well would have never exploded, and no men would have been killed, burned, or injured. Chesapeake put profits over safety and the on-site workers paid the price for Chesapeake's decisions.

Along with that, they allege that a power pack was placed within feet of the oil rig, where Chesapeake's policy clearly states items of this nature are to remain at least 100 feet away to prevent potential sparks it being an ignition source. They contend that the Chesapeake Energy Corp representative saw this issue and failed to correct it, contributing to the fatal events that day.

The three men left to continue to battle Chesapeake Energy Corp in court have physical injuries, and the mental trauma will continue to far outweigh their lives forever. These men, who were contractors hired by Chesapeake, ran to get ice water from the site's station and carried a man away from the explosion severely burned and days later went on to painstakingly pass away. The harrowing acts of these men that day were astounding as they risked their lives to run back towards the explosion so that they could help others.

Within seven days of the first deadly explosion, Chesapeake Energy Corp had two more oil wells blow – one in Lake Somerville, which sent debris flying as an innocent 68-year-old woman motorist was driving. She was taken by flight to the local hospital for treatment. The next day, near Cooks Point, a third Chesapeake Energy Corp oil rig went up in flames and by the time firefighters arrived at the scene, it was fully engulfed in flames.

When lives were lost in Burleson County, Chesapeake Energy was sued by the victims' families and many documents in the case were quickly sealed.

Uncovering the dangerous and risky conditions prevalent in oil wells across the globe are crucial to saving the future lives of the hardworking men and women of today's oil and energy sector. Ensuring onsite engineers are following strict safety measures to prevent catastrophic events is crucial for oil well workers who show up each day to perform a job and deserve to be protected from exposure to known hazardous conditions.

As this eye-opening Texas court trial sheds light on the stark realities faced by oil well workers, here's what we can do as consumers to protect worker safety, environmental protection, and the well-being of nearby communities:

Write or call primary regulatory bodies such as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Check with your local state government to see if they have a regulatory agency that oversees energy production within their borders. Send letters to your state senators, and most of all, on behalf of these three men, send letters to Chesapeake Energy Corp executives asking what happened that day.

• Implement and enforce stricter safety regulations to protect the welfare of oil rig workers and the environment.
• Increase investment in comprehensive training programs to ensure workers are well-prepared to handle emergencies.
• When danger strikes, publicly recognize and financially compensate those for their valiant efforts without subjectiveness related to what is believed to be an injury worthy of settlement.
• Establish independent oversight bodies to monitor and enforce compliance with safety standards and environmental regulations.
• Encourage the adoption of new technologies and best practices that promote safer and more sustainable operations in the oil and energy industry.
• Foster great transparency and accountability with the industry to prevent incidents of negligence and environmental harm.

SOURCE DeSouza Law, P.C.