STERLING, Va. – A wrongful demise lawsuit has been filed following the devastating propane explosion that killed a firefighter and injured a dozen others when a house was blasted aside in Sterling final February.
The household of the late firefighter, Trevor Brown, and others who have been injured within the explosion are suing Southern States vitality firm and two of its staff.
The go well with alleges negligence and gross negligence, arguing that the corporate knew concerning the harmful situation of the propane tank that triggered the explosion and didn’t act.
The backstory:
Three years in the past, Southern States refilled the tank on the dwelling at 347 Silver Ridge Drive with out addressing vital famous questions of safety. The lawsuit says this determination put everybody in hurt’s means.
In February 2024, the home-owner known as up Southern States, saying they smelled fuel. The corporate reportedly informed the home-owner to not name the hearth division as a result of it was not an emergency.
“What’s much more egregious is my consumer, who’s a volunteer firefighter, is on a speakerphone with the supervisor from Southern States and telling him that is an emergency and there’s an argument again saying it’s not. That’s not simply egregious. It’s merely loopy,” mentioned Demetry Pikrallidas, Legal professional at Pikrallidas & Probasco.
Regardless, round 7:30 p.m. officers obtained a 911 name concerning the odor of fuel exterior the home.
Loudoun County firefighters responded to the reported fuel leak on the residence. Investigators later decided an underground propane tank was leaking, prompting firefighters to request a hazardous supplies workforce and evacuate the house’s occupants.
Lower than an hour after the 911 name was positioned, round 8:25 p.m., items reported a “catastrophic explosion” with a number of firefighters inside the house. The construction was totally leveled, trapping a number of firefighters and sending particles flying.
Dig deeper:
The lawsuit alleges Southern States didn’t comply with correct security procedures, together with failing to coach staff adequately, permitting the propane to leak unchecked into the encompassing space.
They’re in search of tens of millions of {dollars} in damages for wrongful demise, bodily accidents, and emotional struggling.
“It’s only a stunning, stunning case,” Pikrallidas mentioned. “Whenever you don’t alert individuals, it’s virtually like ignoring what you realize is fallacious. And while you tag a tank and you are taking it out of fee, you must have correct documentation and when your callback to service that tank, there must be a million pink flags.”
What’s subsequent:
There may be additionally a legal investigation separate from what was filed on Friday.
The placement of the house is being became a memorial for the firefighter that misplaced his life. They plan to place a rock and plaque right here and construct a nature park.
FOX 5 is informed the land was simply cleared only a few days in the past and the landscaping will begin quickly.
READ MORE ABOUT THE 2024 HOME EXPLOSION
