Tag: pipeline

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Jury awards Fayette County dairy farm $4.75M in stray voltage lawsuit

Chris Baldus

A Fayette County jury awarded $4.75 million in damages to a West Union dairy that sued a pipeline company over stray voltage. The verdict was announced Monday, Jan. 30, in Fayette County District Court. The jury ruled that the Northern Natural Gas Company created a nuisance on the Vagts Dairy farm that was a “proximate cause” of damages, which were significant. It also ruled that “the invasion of Vagts’ private use and enjoyment of their land was unreasonable.” The jury awarded the Vagts $3 million in economic damages, $1.25 million for personal inconvenience, annoyance and discomfort, and $500,000 for the … Continue reading Jury awards Fayette County dairy farm $4.75M in stray voltage lawsuit

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Jury selected in stray voltage civil trial

Chris Baldus

A jury of nine people has been selected for the Vagts Dairy stray voltage trial. Civil trials call eight jurors and one alternative juror. On Tuesday, eight men and one woman were selected. Four of the jurors are retirees. One is listed as a laborer and another as a farmer. The others work in the medical and transportation fields. The trial didn’t return to session on Thursday because of the winter storm. Mark, Joan and Andrew Vagts and Vagts Dairy LLC filed suit in March 2021 in Fayette County District Court against Northern Natural Gas claiming it created a nuisance … Continue reading Jury selected in stray voltage civil trial

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Jury selection begins in stray voltage nuisance trial

Chris Baldus

Something was seriously wrong in the herd at Vagts Dairy. Milk production and health problems emerged in the late 2010’s in the 500-cow Holstein herd. Cows eventually were not responding to veterinarian treatments, and many had to be shot or were sold, the West Union dairy farm owners say. After determining that stray voltage from a pipeline transversing the farm was the cause, Mark, Joan and Andrew Vagts and Vagts Dairy LLC filed suit in March 2021 in Fayette County District Court against Northern Natural Gas Company. Two parts of the original petition have been dismissed, but a nuisance claim … Continue reading Jury selection begins in stray voltage nuisance trial