Personal Injury Law

Wrongful Death Lawsuits Filed After Pipeline Explosion

In September of last year, a pipeline explosion rocketed through a residential neighborhood in San Mateo County. The explosion caused widespread damage?in both human life and physical property. All told 38 homes were destroyed by the explosion and ensuring fires, 62 houses were at least partially damaged, and 8 people were killed.

According to the San Bruno Patch, several wrongful death lawsuits have been filed by the victims and their families. More than 60 suits involving more than 150 people have been brought thus far.

The latest wrongful death lawsuit comes from a family who lost three people on that fateful day. A grandmother, her adult son, and his 17-year old son were all killed in their home as a result of the accident. Various family members have filed the suit seeking redress for their staggeringly loss. The victims are specifically alleging that Pacific Gas & Electric Company was negligent in its work, leading to the deadly explosion.

Strict liability may also be at play in these cases. Under certain circumstances the law requires that a party pay for the losses incurred by accidents that only they had the capability of preventing. A gas company, for example, should logically be required to pay for the consequences of a gas explosion, regardless of the details of the accident.

Full post as published by Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog on March 13, 2011 (boomark / email).