SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio couple is suing CPS Energy and two electrical equipment companies after a transformer explosion damaged their home and seriously injured both.
Johnny and Irene Sanchez filed the lawsuit on May 4 in Bexar County’s 166th District Court. The suit seeks more than $1 million in damages from CPS Energy, KBS Electrical Distributors Inc. and JSHP Transformer USA Corporation.
The couple is represented by Falcon Law Group, PLLC, a San Antonio-based law firm. Attorneys are requesting a jury trial for this case.
According to the lawsuit obtained by TheTXLoop, an explosion erupted outside the couple’s home on Feb. 8, 2026, in the 1000 block of Fillmore Drive.
Security camera footage captured the fire igniting at CPS Energy transformer unit #2300562, located in the front yard, the lawsuit states.
Two vehicles were quickly engulfed in flames. The fire spread to the garage, attic and main structure, according to the suit.
When San Antonio firefighters arrived at the scene, the lawsuit alleges that the home sustained “catastrophic structural damage.” The couple said they have not returned to the home since the fire.
Representatives of the transformer’s manufacturer determined that the transformer’s bottom weld had failed and caused the complete loss of approximately 55 gallons of mineral oil coolant — a condition the lawsuit suggests directly caused the explosion.
CPS Energy replaced the transformer later that evening before an independent investigation was completed. The couple alleges that the action destroyed evidence of the explosion and fire.
The lawsuit argues that the failure reflects as a manufacturing defect as well as years of inadequate maintenance and inspection by CPS Energy.
The lawsuit also noted a prior $109 million Bexar County jury verdict against CPS Energy in a nearly identical case from 2021. Attorneys representing the couple argued that the utility was on notice that maintenance failures could cause catastrophic harm.
Both plaintiffs sustained smoke inhalation, physical injuries and psychological trauma while fleeing the blaze, the lawsuit states. Irene Sanchez suffered an ankle fracture, a partial tendon tear and a recurrence of hypertension. Johnny Sanchez sustained four-level cervical disc herniations, complicated by post-traumatic headaches.
Their combined medical bills total approximately $38,280, with more expected, according to court documents.
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