Kansas Gas Provider Settles Explosion Lawsuit after Award Cap Is Lifted

By Mary Mitchell

Published on September 01, 2006

Kansas state law has liability limits of $250,000 for personal injury claims and $250,000 for wrongful death claims, for a $500,000 total limit. In the lawsuit filed by the family of the victim, 75-year-old Mary Ann Schnepf, the Salina, Kansas, judge ruled on August 29 that the family could seek punitive damages higher than the $500,000 cap.

Regarding the settlement, a corporate spokeswoman for ONEOK said that the company is seeking to avoid the expense and the distraction of further litigation in the matter. She also stated that ONEOK will not discuss the settlement’s terms.

The 2002 explosion trapped Schnepf in her home; neighbors and friends heard her cries for help before she died there. Her house and four other ones were destroyed by the explosion.

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