This week a jury decided that a Wise County, Texas couple -- Bob and Lisa Parr -- deserve to be awarded nearly $3 million from Aruba Petroleum for pumping toxic chemicals into their property and its air/water supply. The court battle is over 3 years old and is the first time a US jury has decided against an oil and gas company.
But it definitely might not be the last.
While most fracking contamination cases are settled out of court (i.e. the billion-dollar energy companies simply pay victims off to keep them from making a fuss), some experts think the trend is going to change. Some victims want a public battle to teach bad actors a lesson. Many just want a lot more than the few hundred thousand dollars often offered in a settlement.
No matter what, it looks like fracking lawsuits are going to become much more common as the energy-gathering operations spread throughout North America!
Learn some mo': Texas family wins $3 million in fracking contamination lawsuit
