Burn Victim Sues Owner of Tennessee Oil Well that Exploded

A man who was seriously burned when an Anderson County, Tenn. oil well exploded as he was driving past is suing the company and its owner for $4.5 million, claiming negligence.

The well near Oliver Springs, Tenn., ignited March 19 after spewing oil and leaking natural gas were sparked by Jonathan Vann’s passing truck. The lawsuit filed last week claims Vann was “permanently impaired” by “horribly painful burns” from the explosion.

Well owner Dan Potts was cited by the state for drilling too deeply and not having the proper amount of land secured around the well. The state also found Potts violated Tennessee Oil and Gas Board rules involving blowout prevention, casing-heads and safety.

Potts was not immediately available for comment Friday.
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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel,
http://www.knoxnews.com