In May 2007, a huge explosion destroyed David Powlik’s house in Cleburne, Texas. The explosion killed his wife and daughter and injured his son-in-law and his granddaughter.
The explosion at Powlik’s house was caused by trapped natural gas. He did not even have natural gas service at his house, as he had an all electric system. The Cleburne Fire Marshall conducted an investigation. It found out that the main gas line in front of the Powlik’s home had been leaking into the soil. The soil was saturated by heavy rains and the gas was not able to escape; instead, it leaked into the sewer system. From there, a line in the Powlik’s air conditioning unit acted like a pump and drew the gas into the home. From there, the air conditioning system circulated the gas throughout the house. The blast occurred when Hazel Powlik lit a cigarette.
The lawsuit alleged that Atmos did not properly maintain its lines. The terms of the settlement are confidential and are not disclosed to the public.
This is a very tragic and preventable explosion. I am very familiar with this area, as I own a property across the street from the site of the explosion. My property, like the Powlik’s house, is all electric and I would never dream that an explosion caused by a gas leak could occur there. It takes lawsuits like the one here to discover all of the facts and figure out exactly how Atmos Energy could have prevented this tragic occurrence. Clearly, it is their responsibility to inspect and maintain the gas lines. The Powliks have no responsibility in that regard and were nothing more than innocent citizens. Hopefully, Atmos will learn how to put in place a better program to inspect and maintain its gas lines for the safety of Texans everywhere.
Author: Mark A. Anderson, Board Certified Injury Attorney, Fort Worth, Texas
Contact Information: www.maafirm.com or (817) 294 1900.
