More lawsuits have been filed against the management and operators of the Sandman Signature Hotel in Fort Worth, alleging that negligence on the part of the defendants led to an explosion at the hotel that left multiple people injured.
A little more than a week ago, an explosion presumed to have originated from the Sandman Hotel’s basement-level Musume restaurant rocked the building, injuring a total of 21 people. Christopher Medearis, who had been working in an adjacent building at the time of the explosion, filed a lawsuit days later, seeking $1 million in damages from Atmos Energy, Sandman Management, and Northland Properties Corp, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
An employee of the hotel, Jose Mira, filed a lawsuit against the hotel and Atmos Energy on Tuesday, seeking $1 million in damages. He alleged negligence on the part of the hotel owners and operators. Mira told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram it was a miracle that he survived the explosion.
Mira said he notified managers of the strong gas odor before the explosion occurred. Based on its own investigation, Atmos claims its gas lines did not play a role in the explosion. Business owners are responsible for the gas lines on their property and in their buildings, while the service provider is responsible for lines along public right-of-ways, the Star-Telegram reported.
The Marye Law Firm, which is representing Mira, is bringing in a cause and origin expert to determine the cause of the explosion.
“We are going to do this the right way,” said attorney Eric Marye, according to the Star-Telegram. “My client, and everyone involved, deserves to have the truth brought to light.”
A third lawsuit has been filed, this time by Zehl & Associates, which is representing eight employees of the hotel and their spouses. The suit is seeking damages from the aforementioned entities and Rock Libations LP, the owner of the restaurant, according to WFAA. The lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the owners and operators, claiming they either knew or should have known that the situation before the explosion was hazardous.
A copy of the complaint, which NBC 5 DFW acquired, claims that the employees suffered “catastrophic injuries” in the wake of the explosion.
“The defendants in this case knew there was a risk that this sort of tragic accident could happen, and they simply didn’t take the time or effort to either fix the issues or warn our clients of the dangers,” Ryan Zehl, a founding partner of Zehl & Associates, said in a statement, according to WFAA.
The plaintiffs in this lawsuit are seeking damages for physical impairment and disfigurement, court costs, loss of wages, pain and suffering from both before and after the explosion, medical expenses, and mental anguish.
Zehl & Associates is also planning to file a separate lawsuit on behalf of four guests who were at the hotel at the time of the blast, WFAA reported.
Northland Properties, one of the defendants in the various lawsuits, released a statement to WFAA, commenting on its measures to support its employees following the blast. The statement reads:
“We continue to cooperate with the investigation of the incident; however, we will not be commenting further on the specific assistance that we are providing as this is a confidential legal matter, and we respect the privacy of those involved. We are grateful for the display of community spirit and resilience shown by our neighbors in Downtown Fort Worth. We would again also like to thank the community, first responders, local officials, the city and council, and the state for their support since the events occurred.”
