A gas line failure caused a residential explosion — and utility leak-survey records produced in discovery showed odor reports the utility had received and never resolved.
A natural gas line failure resulted in a residential explosion causing severe injuries to occupants and total structural loss. Odor reports from the neighborhood had been received by the utility in the days preceding the incident.
Utility leak-survey records, prior call logs, and dispatch records — produced in discovery — established that odor reports had been received but inadequately investigated. Pipeline integrity records showed the affected segment was past its assessment interval under federal pipeline safety regulations.
Multiple occupants sustained burn and blast injuries requiring hospitalization and extended treatment. Property loss was total. PTSD treatment was documented for surviving family members.
A jury returned a $16.2M verdict against the natural gas distribution utility.
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