Jury: Gas company must pay workers $12.3m

November 7, 2008

A jury Thursday awarded $12.3 million to two Visalia men injured in an explosion three years ago when they tried to ignite a water-heater pilot light. The men say they didn’t smell gas and that their attempt to purge the line of air flooded a small water-heater closet with gas. Matt Niño, 39, and Sean Huitt, 37, suffered second-degree burns and were out of work for months.

Denise King, spokeswoman for the defendant, Southern California Gas Co., said the jury’s award was not supported by the facts. “We are deeply sorry these plumbers were injured on the job,” she said. “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and intend to appeal.”

The suit stemmed from the absence of natural-gas odor prior to the November 2005 explosion at Porterville Adult School. Liquid odorant is put into natural gas so its presence can be detected, but the odor fades in new steel pipes such as those used in the adult school’s construction, plaintiffs’ attorney Ken Fitzgerald said.

Read Article: Visalia Times-Delta

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney