Propane Tank Explosion: MN Lawyer with a National Practice
The following information on propane tank explosions is provided by PritzkerOlsen, a premier Minnesota personal injury law firm. Our lawyers have gained a nation reputation and have appeared on CNN, CBS News, Fox News, KARE-TV, KSTP-TV WCCO-TV and other media outlets. Attorneys Fred Pritzker, Elliot Olson and Eric Hageman have been named “Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics, and Fred Pritzker is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
If you retain our law firm to represent you in a propane tank explosion lawsuit, we will conduct our own investigation using qualified propane explosion experts. Time is of the essence. To contact a lawyer at PritzkerOlsen, please call 612-433-5371, call toll free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit our free consultation form.
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Propane Explosion Causes
Leaking propane is heavier than air and without proper ventilation can collect in low places like basements, pits, on the floor, etc. If ignited, propane will burn or explode.
Possible causes of propane explosions are:
- Failure to take the appropriate measures during refill, including failure to relight appliances for homeowners
- Improper installation of a gas stove, dryer or other gas appliance
- Improper maintenance of a propane tank, for example, not replacing an old regulator or failing to maintain any part of the propane system
- Improper inspection of the propane tank by the propane gas supplier
- Gas that is not properly odorized with a compound called ethyl mercaptan, which is added according to federal and industry safety requirements so that consumers will know when there is a leak—it smells like rotting cabbage
- Tank leaks
- Grill fires and explosions
Propane Tank Explosion News
Below are examples of propane tank explosions that caused serious injury or death. As with the cases below, propane tank explosion lawsuits often involve the negligence of the propane gas supplier and/or the negligence of an appliance installer.
- Waconia Teenager Killed in Propane Explosion. An 18-year-old was killed when he took a 100-pound tank into the filling shed at Waconia Farm and Home Supply.
- Recovery in Propane Explosion Wrongful Death Lawsuit.
A man lifted his propane gas stove up two inches with a piece of wood while installing new kitchen flooring. Shortly thereafter, an explosion occurred, killing him.An investigation of the incident found that the connective fitting from the propane gas line to the stove was improper, and a leak started when the man lifted the stove. The propane seeped into the basement, where it ignited.The man’s wife and three daughters filed a wrongful death suit against Sears, Roebuck and Co. (Sears), alleging that either an employee or an independent contractor hired as an authorized agent negligently installed the stove.They also sued the gas supplier, alleging that the propane tanks’ regulator was beyond its recommended uselife, and that the supplier should have inspected the tanks to make sure the fitting was proper.The woman and her daughters won a multi-million dollar propane gas lawsuit. - Possible Negligence When Filling Propane Tank. A 72-year-old Elk River, Minnesota man was critically injured in an explosion at his detached workshop. Police have said that the man flipped an electrical switch to use an electric saw in the workshop, causing a spark that ignited propane in a line connecting the shed to the house. There were reports that the man had paid to have his propane tank filled a day or two before the explosion.Dr. Leslie Smith, assistant director of HCMC’s Burn Center, said Ohman also was hit on the head with a piece of debris in the blast. He is expected to receive treatment for several weeks. Read more about this Minnesota propane explosion.
References
1. Midcap v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., Del., Kent County Super. Ct., No. 01C-04-007, Nov. 3, 2003 and Bnet, Man killed in propane gas explosion: Negligent installation: Wrongful death: Verdict, June 2004.
2. Nicole Tommerdahl and Allie Shah, Elk River man recovering from blast, Star Tribune, March 3, 2oo9.
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