A Dallas apartment explosion survivor has filed a lawsuit against Atmos Energy for gross negligence, blaming it for the blast that killed 3 and injured residents.
DALLAS — A survivor of the deadly explosion that destroyed a Dallas apartment building in the Oak Cliff neighborhood Thursday has filed a lawsuit against Atmos Energy, alleging the natural gas provider’s gross negligence contributed to the blast that killed residents, injured others and reduced much of the building to rubble.
The lawsuit, filed in Dallas County by Onecimo Ponce Mendoza, seeks more than $1 million in damages and accuses Atmos Energy of failing to properly monitor, inspect, maintain, and repair its natural gas infrastructure serving The Clyde Apartments near East 9th Street and Patton Avenue.
Atmos Energy has denied responsibility for the initial gas line damage.
“Yesterday, at 12:51 p.m., Dallas Fire Rescue reported to Atmos Energy that a construction company unrelated to Atmos Energy damaged a natural gas pipeline,” the company said in a Friday statement.
On May 28, a gas leak was reported around 12:47 p.m. and the explosion happened minutes later at the two-story apartment complex. Firefighters had begun preparing to evacuate residents when the building exploded, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue officials.
“Right before making entry, the building blew up,” Dallas Fire Chief Justin Ball said in a Friday afternoon press conference.
ECS Southwest, a Carrollton-based engineering consultancy firm, issued a statement calling the explosion a “terrible tragedy,” and futher said there was no ECS Southwest personnel on site at the time of the explosion.
“811 reports that utility locating was performed at the site prior to the work,” the statement reads. “Beyond that, the cause is under investigation, and we don’t think it would be appropriate to speculate while that work is ongoing.”
In the lawsuit, Mendoza alleges he was asleep in his apartment when he was awakened by a loud noise. The lawsuit states that as he stepped out of his bedroom, he encountered intense heat and heavy smoke and discovered the roof of his apartment had collapsed. Mendoza then claims he searched for his roommate before escaping the burning building.
The lawsuit alleges Mendoza suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries.
“This is yet another tragic explosion case that arises from Defendant Atmos Energy’s gross negligence and longstanding pattern of valuing profits over human life,” the lawsuit states.
Atmos Energy has continued to deny responsibility through statements sent to WFAA and added that technicians were working alongside emergency responders and that natural gas service in the area had been shut off.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred yesterday in Oak Cliff. Our hearts go out to the people who were tragically lost, their families, and everyone who has been impacted,” Atmos said in a Friday statement.
The owner of the apartment complex has also pointed to construction activity near the property. Through an attorney, the owner said the property was under contract for sale and that a buyer’s engineering firm had been conducting soil testing in the area before the explosion.
The property’s attorney, Geoff Henley, said in a statement that “the owner is shocked by this outcome and likewise mourns this outcome.”
Henley said the soil testing at the property was made by the buyer’s engineering firm. He said that they have tried to learn how the explosion happened.
“There is a lot of information unfolding right now, and we will actively keep you posted,” he said.
Despite those statements, Mendoza’s lawsuit alleges Atmos Energy failed to adequately detect and respond to gas leaks and failed to properly maintain pipelines, pressure regulation devices, gas meters, and other equipment. The suit further claims the company failed to warn residents about potential dangers associated with natural gas leaks.
The filing also cites Atmos Energy’s prior safety record, alleging the company has accumulated numerous safety violations over the years and operates some of the oldest natural gas pipelines in Texas.
Attorneys for Mendoza are seeking damages for physical injuries, medical expenses, mental anguish, pain and suffering, impairment, disfigurement, and punitive damages.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Dallas Fire-Rescue Chief Justin Ball said federal investigators are leading the inquiry, with assistance from local and federal agencies. The National Transportation Safety Board is overseeing the investigation and has not yet determined what caused the blast.
Officials completed a search of the debris field on Friday after deploying drones, cadaver dogs, and urban search-and-rescue teams. Ball said all residents believed to have been living in the building had been accounted for.