CLARKSBURG – Nobel Energy, a defendant in a civil suit filed by Richard and Karen Good, is petitioning to move the case from Ritchie County Court to federal court.
The petition was originally filed in Jan. 5 in Ritchie Circuit Court against Nobel Energy and Whipstock Natural Gas Services LLC. On Feb. 5, Nobel Energy sought to have the case moved to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
In the original compliant, the Goods sued Nobel Energy and Whipstock Natural Gas Services on Jan. 5 in a dispute involving on-the-job injuries Richard Good allegedly suffered while working on a drilling rig in Ritchie County in January 2014. Good says he was struck in the head by a piece of equipment, suffering traumatic head and spinal wounds, among other injuries. The suit blames Nobel and Whipstock for recklessness and disregard of Good’s safety.
The defendant wants to move the case to federal court because the amount of damages in question will likely be more than $75,000 and the Goods are from Ohio, satisfying the requirements for federal jurisdiction, the suit states.
Nobel Energy is represented by attorneys Rodney W. Stieger and Albert F. Sebok of Jackson Kelly PLLC in Charleston. The Goods are represented by Geoffrey C. Brown and Scott S. Blass of Bordas & Bordas of Wheeling.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia case number 1:16-CV-16