Texas residents place a great deal of trust in the utility companies that serve their power and gas needs. Electricity and natural gas are essential to our daily lives, but are also extremely hazardous when not properly handled. As a result, there are a wide range of precautions and safety measures that utility companies take to ensure that customers are able to use these resources in a safe and reliable manner. One recent natural gas accident that resulted in serious burn injury has left many concerned over their own utility services, and looking for answers.
The incident took place on a recent weekend as a man was working in his garage in Houston, Texas. A natural gas explosion occurred, leaving the man seriously burned. As of the time of this report, he was listed in critical condition at a local hospital, his body covered in second and third-degree burns. In addition, property damage occurred due to the explosion and the fire that followed.
The man and his wife have filed suit against CenterPoint Energy in relation to the fire. Within that suit, the couple claims that the energy company failed to enforce maintenance standards that could have prevented the accident. In addition, they assert that safety rules were also not sufficiently enforced.
The investigation into the fire is still underway, and a cause has not yet been determined. A Texas court has issued a temporary restraining order to allow for collection of evidence in the case. Should the burn injury lawsuit be successful and the court find negligence on the part of the energy company, the couple stands to receive a sizable award of damages.
Source: chron.com, “Lawsuit blames CenterPoint for garage explosion that burned man,” Erin Mulvaney, March 12, 2013
