A fourth lawsuit has been filed in the wake of the Fort Worth hotel explosion that rocked the city center earlier this month.
Like those before it, the latest lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the hotel’s owners and operators.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, two weeks have passed since an explosion originated from the Sandman Signature Hotel’s basement-level Musume restaurant blew out part of the building, injuring a total of 21 people. Three lawsuits representing multiple victims who had purportedly been injured emotionally and physically have since been filed. The suits allege negligence on the part of operators and seeking millions.
The latest lawsuit was filed on behalf of Karen Mayte Lopez Ontiveros against Northland Properties, Musume, Atmos Energy, Rock Libations, Sandman Hotel Group, and SBBC Hospitium. The plaintiff is an employee of the hotel and was critically injured in the explosion, according to The Real Deal.
The lawsuit claims Lopez Ontiveros, like some of the litigants in the other lawsuits, had detected gas in the building and attempted to inform her superiors. However, no actions were taken. When the explosion occurred, the first floor purportedly “collapsed” onto Lopez Ontiveros, leaving her with injuries such as kidney lacerations, punctured lungs, several burns, a shattered arm, and broken ribs.
Lopez Ontiveros is currently in a medically induced coma due to these injuries.
The lawsuit seeks $177 million in damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and more. It claims the owners did not prioritize the safety of guests and employees and had “exclusive control” over whether to order an evacuation. Moreover, the lawsuit points out previous incidents involving Atmos Energy, namely an explosion that occurred at a Dallas home in 2018 that killed a 12-year-old girl.
So far in its investigation, the Fort Worth Fire Department has not found Atmos Energy at fault despite stating that it was “confident” that the explosion involved natural gas.
The Dallas Express reached out to Atmos Energy but did not receive a response by press time.