3rd lawsuit filed over fatal Oklahoma gas rig explosion

MCALESTER, Okla. – A third wrongful death lawsuit has been filed over a natural gas rig explosion in Oklahoma that killed five workers.

Julie Smith of McAlester, widow of Matthew Smith, filed the lawsuit Wednesday.

The widows of Roger Cunningham and Parker Waldridge, also Oklahomans, have filed similar lawsuits over the Jan. 22 explosion.

The lawsuit was first reported by the McAlester News-Capital and names Red Mountain Energy, Red Mountain Operating, Patterson-UTI Drilling and Patterson-UTI Energy.

Patterson-UTI has said it doesn’t comment on pending litigation, but is committed to preventing future accidents. An attorney for Red Mountain hasn’t returned phone calls for comment.

The explosion near Quinton, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) southeast of Tulsa, also killed Josh Ray of Fort Worth, Texas, and Cody Risk of Wellington, Colorado.