Several Hurricane Related Federal Class Action Claims Filed

BNA reports: "Groups representing Louisiana residents, businesses, and other entities have filed multiple lawsuits in federal court claiming negligence by big oil and gas companies, pipeline owners, refineries, and engineering/construction contractors contributed to catastrophic personal, property, and environmental damage after storm surge from Hurricane Katrina swept through southeast Louisiana in late August. "

The actions filed include:

- Danos v. Bass Enterprises Production, E.D. La., No. 05-4212, complaint filed 9/21/05 (suit by commercial fisherman against oil and gas pipelines for destruction of protective marshes)
- Barasich v. Columbia Gulf Transmission Co., E.D. La., No. 5-4161, complaint filed 9/13/05 (suit by individuals and businesses against oil and gas pipelines for wetlands damage)
- Turner v. Murphy Oil USA Inc., E.D. La., No. 05-4206, complaint filed 9/9/05 & Duckert v. Murphy Oil USA Inc., E.D. La., No. 2:05-cv-04210-EEF-JCW, complaint filed 9/21/05 (suit by persons harmed by 25,000 barrels of crude after a storage tank ruptured in the hurricane)
- Berthelot v. Boh Brothers Construction Co., E.D. La., No. 2:05-CV-04142-GTP-KW2, complaint filed 9/19/05 (suit against construction, engineering, and related companies for negligence in constructing and designing the levees that breached)

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