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SOUTHEAST TEXAS RECORD

Friday, March 29, 2024

Wrongful death trial against drilling companies ends before beginning

A wrongful death case against a couple of drilling companies will not go to trial Monday as planned, as the parties have reached a settlement.

On Jan. 28, 2013, Justin Burnett, representing the estate of the late Scottie Wayne Burnett, filed suit against T.K. Stanley, Nabors Drilling USA and Legend Oil Field Services in Jefferson County District Court.

Justin Burnett alleges his father was working as a rigger for T.K. Stanley on March 19, 2011, near rig components being off-loaded to the drilling site. Suddenly, a section of the rig collapsed without warning and pinned Scottie Wayne Burnett beneath it, according to the complaint.

Nabors Drilling attempted to stay the slated Dec. 8 trial with an appeal to the Texas Ninth District Court of Appeals in Beaumont, but justices denied the petition and motion for temporary relief on Nov. 20.

Rather than allow jurors to decide the case, the parties reached a settlement Friday, according to a courthouse official.

Nabors was the drilling company in charge of the site where the incident occurred. T.K. Stanley and Legend were subcontractors at the site.

“At the time of the incident subject of this suit, Scottie Wayne Burnett was following directions being issued by defendants,” the suit states.

Justin Burnett was suing for the loss of his father’s earning capacity, care, services, maintenance, support, services, advice, counsel, companionship and society.

Judge Milton Shuffield, 136th District Court, is presiding over the case.

Trial court case No. D193-863

Appeals court No. 09-14-00499-CV

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