Louisiana man claims he was injured in gas explosion

WHEELING -- A Louisiana man is suing over claims he was injured in an explosion at a natural gas production station.

Jonathan Whisenhunt filed a lawsuit May 16 in Ohio Circuit Court against Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation, Eureka Hunter Pipeline LLC, Triad Hunter LLC, Apex Pipeline Services Inc., Western Oilfields Supply Company, doing business as Rain for Rent, and Exterran Energy Solutions LP, citing an unsafe workplace.

According to the complaint, Whisenhunt was working as a technician for Exterran Energy Solutions, retained by Eureka Hunter, as it negligently performed a pigging operation at its Twin Hickory station, designed by Apex, on April 11, 2013, when a dangerously high volume of natural gases accumulated.

The lawsuit states Rain for Rent provided a liquid storage tank not designed to store natural gas to Eureka Hunter, which resulted in a vapor cloud forming over the area which ignited and caused an explosion in which the plaintiff was injured and severely burned. Eureka Hunter and Triad Hunter are subsidiaries of Magnum Hunter Resources.

Eureka Hunter is accused of providing an unsafe workplace, Exterran of deliberate intent and Apex and Rain for Rent of negligence.

Whisenhunt is seeking punitive damages within the jursidictional limits.

He is being represented in the case by attorneys Brett J. Preston, C. Benjamin Salango and Dan R. Snuffer of Preston & Salango PLLC. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge David J. Sims.

Ohio Circuit Court Case No. 14-C-135