Updated September 5, 2024, after the NTSB’s preliminary investigation. A gas explosion leveled a house in Bel Air, Maryland, over the weekend, claiming the lives of two people and injuring one. Fire investigators suspect a gas leak caused the house on the 2300 block of Arthur Woods Drive to explode. The homeowner, a 73-year-old man who uses a wheelchair, was preparing to meet with a realtor to put his house up for sale before the explosion.
A Baltimore Gas & Electric crew was on the scene to investigate an electrical event reported the night before the explosion. Before the BGE crew arrived, fire crews were dispatched to investigate a gas leak reported by a Hartford County Public Works worker.
Sadly, the homeowner, 73-year-old Ray Corkran Jr., and a BGE contractor, 35-year-old Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, died in the explosion. A woman who lived in a neighboring house was injured and treated at the scene.
Debris from the house explosion landed nearly a half mile away. Several neighboring homes were damaged, and 12 families have been displaced. The Hartford County Department for Emergency Services opened a hotline for residents to report information relating to the explosion.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the NTSB, the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Hartford County Sheriff’s Department. In September 2024, the NTSB released an investigation report that said a hole was found in the plastic service line, and subsurface gas was detected in the area surrounding the house.
House Explosion Lawsuit Information
If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a house explosion, you may be able to sue the wrongdoers who caused you harm. While no amount of money could ever make up for your family’s loss, pursuing legal action through an explosion wrongful death lawsuit can offer a measure of justice and financial support during this difficult time.
An experienced explosion lawyer will conduct a cause and origin investigation to determine the cause of the explosion and identify responsible parties, which may include:
- Gas company
- Propane company that serviced your propane tank before it exploded
- Landlord
- Construction company
- Contractor or subcontractor
- Component manufacturer
- Maintenance company
- Installation company
- City, county, or state
It is important to consult with an attorney about your case as soon as possible, because laws called statutes of limitations, which vary by state, may limit the amount of time you have to file a claim.
Contact us for a no-cost consultation with an attorney
The Pritzker Hageman Law Firm
Call: 1-888-377-8900
Text: 612-261-0856
About the Pritzker Hageman Burn Injury Legal Team
Pritzker Hageman is one of the few law firms in the country with experience representing burn survivors and their families in house explosion lawsuits nationwide. Our explosion lawyers have gone up against big gas companies to win hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. Pritzker Hageman supports the burn survivor community by partnering with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors and our attorneys have been active members of the American Burn Association.
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Legal Action after a Burn Injury
The Pritzker Hageman burn injury legal team, in partnership with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, has put together a handbook covering important topics related to legal action after a burn injury.
