Homeowner Injured After Explosion Sues SoCal Gas and Others for Negligence

A homeowner recently filed a lawsuit against the City of Santa Maria, a property owner, Southern California Gas Company, and another 50 unnamed defendants. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff is alleging negligence after a gas line was not properly secured following a cooking fire that caused an explosion at a Hancock Village home in August of last year.

Four people were injured in the explosion including one person who was critically injured. The cause of the explosion is officially under investigation.

The lawsuit alleges that on Aug. 2, 2023, firefighters with the Santa Maria Fire Department quickly extinguished a small fire that started on a stove at a home at 1219 Jackie Lane around 7 p.m. According to the lawsuit, firefighters moved the stove outside of the home after putting the fire out but left the natural gas supply line open. Three weeks later, on Aug. 23, 2023, an explosion occurred at the home of the property owner who was named in the lawsuit. The ensuing explosion almost entirely destroyed both their home and the plaintiff’s as well as causing the plaintiff serious injuries.

According to the lawsuit, Southern California Gas Company, the supplier of gas to the house that exploded, and Aclara Technologies LLC, the company that manufactured the smart meter installed in the home, and another 50 individuals acting in an official capacity, were all negligent in preventing the explosion.

Elements of negligence 

This lawsuit names a lot of defendants and has a lot of moving parts that allege different types of negligence. It’s an interesting case to analyze for this reason.

According to the lawsuit, the City of Santa Maria, California disconnected a stove from the gas line without turning the gas off. This resulted in an explosion that destroyed two homes and injured four people, one critically. Each of these individuals, including the two property owners whose houses were destroyed in the explosion, would have a claim against the various entities that are named as defendants in this lawsuit.

While the fire department is being faulted for failing to turn off the gas to the removed stove, other elements of the lawsuit make claims of product liability. Specifically, the company that manufactured the smart meter that was installed in the exploding home is being faulted for failing to spot the problem earlier. In addition, the owner of the property whose house exploded is named in the lawsuit as a defendant for also failing to spot the problem earlier.

Talk to an Oakland, CA Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

The Oakland personal injury lawyers at Venardi Zurada represent the interests of injured plaintiffs in lawsuits filed against negligent defendants. Our attorneys will fight tirelessly to ensure that you are paid for damages including medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced quality of life. We serve the Bay Area from our office locations in Oakland and Walnut Creek. Call today to learn more about how we can help.

Source:

keyt.com/news/santa-maria-north-county/2024/10/08/homeowner-injured-after-explosion-now-suing-sant-maria-socal-gas-and-others-for-negligence/