Gas Explosions Set Dozens of Homes on Fire in North Boston

One person has died, and about a dozen others have been injured, as a result of a series of gas-related fires and explosions which tore through several communities in North Boston on September 13, 2018.

Leonel Rondon, a resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was killed after one of the explosions sent a chimney crashing onto his car, according to the Massachusetts State Police. The Massachusetts governor has said about 8,000 homes were affected, and the State police has responded to explosions, fires, and other gas-related reports to at least 70 different addresses. Authorities have warned residents in the area who are serviced by Columbia Gas to “evacuate their homes immediately” as gas lines are being depressurized by the company.

Days after these tragic accidents, officials are still unsure whether the displaced residents in Lawrence, North Andover, and Andover are safe to return to their homes yet. Andover police have tweeted that power would be out in the area until at least 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Investigators are beginning to investigate the potential cause of these explosions and related accidents. One such possibility is the over-pressurization of the gas main, which is owned by Columbia Gas. According to Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal’s office, Columbia Gas has begun to upgrade equipment in the area. Columbia Gas advised that because of these events, it may need to visit approximately 8,600 affected customers, shut off their gas, and conduct a safety inspection.

This is not the first time a natural gas provider’s alleged negligence has caused a home explosion.  In fact, Morrow & Sheppard LLP’s personal injury attorneys have handled multiple home explosion cases around the country involving alleged gas company negligence.

In October 2017, Morrow & Sheppard LLP secured a $7 million jury verdict and judgment for Texas clients who were injured a home explosion, allegedly because a gas line was never properly capped by CenterPoint Energy.

Currently, Morrow & Sheppard LLP is representing a family injured in a violent natural gas home explosion that occurred in the Denver, Colorado suburbs in May 2017, causing serious burns to two small children.  Our investigation has uncovered that the leak had been occurring for years, and that gas leaking near the location had been reported to gas company Xcel Energy in the past.  Xcel Energy denies liability.  The lawsuit is pending in Colorado state district court in Adams County, Colorado.

Morrow & Sheppard LLP’s personal injury trial attorneys and regularly handle cases involving catastrophic injuries. Our attorneys are licensed in Texas and Louisiana, and have been admitted on a temporary basis to handle cases all around the country.

If you have been injured in a home explosion, contact the team Morrow and Sheppard LLP to protect and assert your legal rights.