If your loved one was burned in an explosion, you need the help of an experienced burn injury attorney. The Pritzker Hageman Burn Injury Legal Team helps burn victims and their families get the justice and compensation they deserve.
Updated April 26, 2023. Fire officials say a natural gas leak likely caused Saturday’s apartment explosion in Springfield, Ohio. Two women and an 11-month-old baby girl were airlifted to hospitals in Dayton with burns when the rental townhouse exploded. Sadly, 50-year-old Edeline Ducatel and her 39-year-old sister Macdala Ducatel died from their injuries. Macdala’s baby was treated at Shriners Children’s Ohio before she was released on April 25.
Fire crews had already been dispatched for a gas leak nearby when the explosion happened at Ridgewood Court Townhomes. When crews arrived on the scene at 1011 East Home Road, they found a large column of smoke rising from the structure. While residents exited the building, firefighters rushed inside to rescue the baby. The Springfield Fire Chief said the building will likely be torn down. One resident told the Springfield News-Sun, “The ceiling came down on me and I thought a plane had fallen into the building.”
The Ducatels were Haitian immigrants and lived in the same apartment together. The Haitian services facilitator at St. Vincent dePaul in Springfield said the Red Cross is assisting the family with the funeral, which will be held in Florida.
Residents reported smelling gas before the blast broke out. Inspectors from Columbia Gas and Ohio Edison have been on the scene. An investigation is ongoing. Officials think a gas line broke, which allowed gas to flow inside the townhouse and cause an explosion.
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Springfield Neighborhood Prone to Gas Leaks
The explosion at Ridgewood Court apartments is the second gas-related explosion to occur in the same neighborhood this year. About two weeks ago, a propane explosion injured three workers at a construction site half a mile away in what the Springfield Assistant Fire Chief called “an unusual incident.” On March 21, a propane tank was damaged while workers were renovating an old children’s home building for the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services on 525 East Home Road. Crews working for Amcorp Construction were moving a 2,000-gallon propane tank when it fell off a forklift. The tank’s valve broke off, releasing propane gas into the air and causing multiple explosions. Three workers were injured and several buildings were damaged. The renovation project, meant to be used for services that benefit children in Clark County, was put on hold.
Apartment Fire and Explosion Lawsuit Information
If your loved one was burned in an apartment fire and explosion, you may have the right to sue for justice and compensation on their behalf. An experienced burn injury attorney will be able to help you sue the wrongdoers whose negligence caused the explosion. Most gas explosions happen when there is a problem with a gas line, a propane tank, or an appliance. A cause and origin investigation will help determine who can be sued, which may include the gas company, your landlord, the manufacturer of any defective parts, the contractor that failed to train or supervise its workers, and any other wrongdoers.
Contact an Experienced Burn Injury Attorney
Pritzker Hageman is one of the few law firms in the country with experience representing burn survivors and their families in explosion lawsuits nationwide. We have gone up against large companies to win hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. If you would like a free consultation about your case, please call 1-888-377-8900, text 612-261-0856, or fill out the form below.