A man injured in the aftermath of the explosion at a downtown Fort Worth hotel believed to be caused by a natural gas leak has sued the hotel owners and Atmos Energy.
According to the lawsuit — filed in Dallas County — Tarrant County resident Christopher Medearis was working in a building near the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel Monday when part of the building exploded around 3:30 p.m..
Medearis was “running for his life” after the explosion when the lawsuit says he “tripped, fell, and as a result suffered personal bodily injury.”
The lawsuit also says Medearis has since experienced insomnia, a racing heart and anxiety after the explosion, which injured 21 people. At least one person was critically injured, four seriously injured and 16 other people had minor injuries.
Fort Worth police and fire officials confirmed they are investigating a gas leak at the hotel and how it factored into the explosion.
Houston law firm Kherkher Garcia shared the petition in a news release Thursday afternoon.
The suit accuses the Fort Worth hotel and the companies that own it — Sandman Management and Northland Properties — of failing to maintain a safe hotel and warn of "hidden dangers that they knew of or should have discovered if they had used reasonable care."
The lawsuit also accuses Atmos Energy, which supplies natural gas to the Sandman hotel, of failing to properly monitor gas leaks, gas pipelines and maintain pressure regulation devices at and around the hotel, "despite having actual knowledge of the extremes risks of harm in failing to do so."
“These companies brazenly failed to conduct operations in a safe manner consistent with policies and procedures, as well as the industry standards and best practices for working at or on a property where natural gas is present,” read a statement from attorney Jesus Garcia with the Houston law firm Kherkher Garcia. "The defendants prioritized profit over safety with catastrophic results for those injured and their families, whose lives have been altered forever due to the negligence of these parties."
The hotel and Sandman Management could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
In a statement on its website Friday, Atmos Energy said after completing its safety checks and investigation, the company has found no indication its system was involved in the explosion.
In an emailed statement to KERA Friday, a spokesperson for Northland Properties said the company will continue to cooperate with officials as they investigate the cause of the explosion.
"Our primary focus remains supporting those who have been impacted, as well as the safety and well-being of our team members, guests, and the Fort Worth community," the statement reads. "Since Monday, we have worked diligently to coordinate support for those who have been most affected."
Got a tip? Email Toluwani Osibamowo at tosibamowo@kera.org. You can follow Toluwani on Twitter @tosibamowo.
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