Firefighter killed, a number of injured in blast that leveled home in Sterling
Greater than a yr after a home explosion killed a volunteer firefighter and injured a number of others, that firefighter’s household, colleagues and the house owner are suing the utility firm and two of its workers.
Volunteer firefighter Trevor Brown, 45, was killed within the explosion that leveled a Sterling, Virginia, dwelling on Feb. 16, 2024.
Friday morning, his family members filed a lawsuit towards the utility firm – Southern States – in search of $100 million in damages.
The victims believed the corporate downplayed the hazard simply earlier than the blast.
The lawsuit – filed by Brown’s household, fellow firefighters, the house owner and several other others who have been injured – lays out disturbing new particulars in regards to the alleged violations and negligence that led to the tragic explosion.
“Catastrophic. That’s how I’d describe it,” stated lawyer Demetry Pikrallidas, who represents one of many eight plaintiffs. “Catastrophic and as soon as in a lifetime. These items ought to by no means occur.”
His consumer, volunteer hearth Capt. Karam Mashaal, was standing exterior of the house when it exploded. He’s in search of $20 million in damages.
“Once you’re 50 toes away from a blast, what it does in sluggish movement, it principally compresses your head,” Pikrallidas stated. “It’s instantaneous and again.
“It has had neurological points for my consumer,” he stated. “It has had, he’s having tremors. He’s having emotional, psychological damages. He’s a father of 5. His spouse is keep at dwelling. He had two jobs in cybersecurity; he can now solely work one. He’s doing every little thing he can to maintain it collectively.”
Based on the timeline within the lawsuit, workers of Southern States stuffed a faulty underground tank with 125 gallons of propane after which ignored the leak for hours, downplaying the hazard. At one level, they advised the house owner, “It’s not a giant deal’ I’ve been doing this a very long time.”
The go well with additionally alleges that moments earlier than the explosion, the identical worker advised firefighters on scene he didn’t consider it was an emergency.
“Karam Mashaal was arguing with the supervisor, Roger Bently,” Pikrallidas stated. “You could have Bently telling him it’s not an emergency and Mashaal is saying, ‘Maintain on. There’s extra right here. We’ve bought hazmat right here. There’s extra right here.’ So, that’s, that’s a part of the issue right here. It was principally pushed down as if it have been nothing.”
Based on the go well with, Brown was partially decapitated when the explosion turned a chunk of a door body right into a projectile. His household seeks $100 million in damages.
“As a matter of coverage, Southern States Cooperative, Inc. can not touch upon the main points of any pending or ongoing litigation issues,” the utility advised News4 in a press release.
“Security was utterly ignored right here,” Pikrallidas stated. “It wasn’t even a thought; it was ignored. Intentionally. And that may by no means occur once more.”
In October, Bently — the previous Southern States worker – was indicted for involuntary manslaughter and different expenses. Finally replace, his prison trial is ready for this summer time.
