A lawsuit filed over the death of an oilfield worker near Ardmore three years ago continued Thursday in Oklahoma City federal court as one of the firms blamed the worker’s health and not workings conditions.
Cynthia Simpson maintains her husband, David Simpson was overcome by potentially deadly fumes as he was tank gauging on wells maintained and operated by XTO Energy, Inc. and Exxon Mobil Corporations.
Testimony in the lawsuit (5:16-cv-00630) began this week before U.S. District Judge David Russell as Simpson blamed the two energy companies over the death of her husband as OK Energy Today reported earlier.
XTO Media and Communications Advisor Jeremy Eikenberry in Fort Worth, Texas responded, indicating that the company regretted the incident and extended sympathy to the family and friends of Mr. Simpson.
“There is no evidence to support that there were any hazards at XTO’s well site that would have caused Mr. Simpson’s death,” said Eikenberry in an email response to OK Energy Today.
The lawsuit said the companies had a duty to maintain equipment and facilities in a condition not unreasonably dangerous to persons. But Eikenberry denies such claims.
“Immediate testing after the incident as well as the H2S detector that Mr. Simpson was wearing shows there was no H2S present at this location. There is an overabundance of evidence that shows Mr. Simpson has had along history of pre-existing conditions that put him at high risk for a heart attack.”
He also said the Centers for Disease Control did not visit the site and did not investigate the death.
“The CDC looked at the OSHA report and noted a death occurred at this location and misrepresented it as a possible death due to H2S inhalation. However, OSHA’s post-incident investigation found that H2S was not present in sufficient levels.”