TAMPA -- A family is alleging their house blew up after an electric company hit a local gas line and did not notify them to evacuate the property.
Adrian Ramirez Lopez, as personal representative of the estate of his son Adrian Lopez, and Francisca Matiano de Lopez, filed a complaint on June 14 in Hillsborough County Circuit Court against Next Generation Management, Inc. (NGM) and Tampa Electric Company (TECO) d/b/a Peoples Gas System for negligence and strict liability.
According to the complaint, on Dec.3, 2020, NGM was conducting horizontal directional drilling or directional boring (HDD) at 9th Street West and 30th Avenue West in Bradenton. At approximately 110 feet into its drilling, NGM struck an underground obstruction, which was determined to be an underground gas line, and workers began smelling natural gas, the suit claims.
At approximately 11:20 a.m., NGM called 911 and around 11:37 a.m., several entities, including TECO and fire departments, began arriving at the scene, the suit says. TECO and fire department officials tried to stop the gas leak for more than two hours, but ultimately caused a house explosion at the Lopez residence, located on 8th Street West, the suit says.
The Plaintiffs allege they were still inside their home when the explosion happened and were not evacuated despite being a little more than 300 feet from where the gas line was struck. The younger Adrian Lopez, who was 23 years old and a college student at the time, died in the explosion, the suit says.
Lopez is represented by Frank Melton.
Circuit Court of the 13th Judicial Court in and for Hillsborough County filing number 128687680