On December 15, 2016, a Homer Glen man and his daughter were severely burned when their house exploded as a result of a gas leak. Residents in the neighborhood began reporting the gas leak at 2 p.m. that day, which seemed to originate around 143rd Street and Parker Road. Nicor workers arrived before 3 p.m. and attempted to isolate the source of the leaked and evacuate residents, though many stayed in their homes.
The home, which was located on 141st Street, exploded at 4:12 p.m. The residents who suffered severe burns were transferred to Silver Cross Hospital, and then later airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center’s burn unit. Calls were placed to evacuate homes within a half mile radius of the explosion as Nicor crews worked to isolate and cap the leak, which was not completed until 10:30 that night.
Public utility explosions are rarely simple cases, either legally or factually – they demand comprehensive knowledge not only of the applicable law, but also of the utility industry. Public Utilities are large multi-billion dollar companies; these companies have vast resources available to fight these types of cases in order to make sure that they pay out as little money as possible. Multiple parties may also be involved, including other utility providers such as cable or electrical companies, or even private construction contractors, any of whom could have damaged existing gas lines in the course of conducting other work. The failure to identify and pursue all responsible parties in a timely fashion could forever prevent you from obtaining the financial compensation you deserve. For all these reasons, you should be careful to choose an attorney with a solid reputation and experience in handling personal injury cases involving explosions in Illinois.
The personal injury firm of GWC Injury Lawyers prosecutes a wide variety of injury cases throughout the State of Illinois, including those involving utility explosions, auto accidents, workers’ compensation, construction accidents, and medical malpractice. If you or your loved one has been injured, either due to a utility explosion or some other means, please contact our office for a free legal consultation to see if you may be eligible for financial compensation for your injuries.
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