Highland Hills Apartment Resident Digs Through Rubble; First Lawsuit Filed – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth
The first lawsuit was filed after the devastating natural gas explosion at the Highland Hills apartment complex in south Dallas last week.
Eight people were injured in the explosion, including three firefighters who continued to be hospitalized and about 250 people were displaced.
An injured apartment complex employee has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Atmos Energy Corporation.
Eriq Davis accuses the natural gas supplier of the complex of negligence, although the investigators have not yet clarified the exact cause of the explosion.
The residents displaced by the explosion continue their rescue efforts.
Abdul Karriem lived in the building that exploded.
Although his unit was spared serious damage, the crews tore down the entire building with 10 units after the explosion.
Karriem has returned to the heap of rubble that was left behind several times, wondering if his belongings could be saved.
“When you lose everything you have, it is a healing process and a victory when you can come back and get some of it back,” he said.
That is exactly what the contractor did on Tuesday morning with his personal skid steer loader and a crew.
“We went there with my bobcat this morning and I moved debris and tunneled my way,” he said. “I saw some living room furniture and said, oh ok, then my bedroom is here. And actually I was able to find my dresser. “
Amazingly, the dresser survived the explosion and subsequent demolition with several belongings in it.
“My passport was what I went in for,” Karriem said. “I got my passport. I can not live without that!”
Dallas firefighters and investigators are no longer on site all the time. The website was handed over to Atmos energy investigators and insurance experts.
Investigators from the natural gas utility were seen digging holes around the property.
Fire investigators had previously paid particular attention to a furnace pulled from the rubble.
Davis’ attorneys also provided NBC 5 with new details about the moments before the explosion.
“Mr. Davis traveled to the unit for the area in question with several other employees,” said Attorney Eric Allen of Zehl & Associates.
Allen says the staff and maintenance workers were sent to examine a building for possible damage related to a shooting last night.
“As soon as they smelled the gas, they called 911,” said Allen.
When the Dallas Fire Department joined the staff to investigate the possible gas leak, the building exploded.
“Mr. Davis was in close proximity to this explosion along with the rest of the staff. He suffered burns, abdominal injuries and a leg injury,” he said.
The personal injury lawsuit accuses Atmos of “failing to control and prevent gas leaks,” “failing to perform operations in a safe, sensible, and prudent manner,” and claims “the injuries and harm caused to the plaintiff” [Davis] suffered in the incident in question were caused by gross negligence on the part of the defendant [Atmos Energy]. ‘
The lawsuit calls for a jury trial and $ 1 million, unless a jury determines otherwise.
“The lawsuit is about obtaining compensation and medical treatment from Mr. Davis,” said Allen.
The attorney was unable to speak openly about the decision to file a lawsuit against the company rather than the apartment complex owners, but cited “a story of” [Atmos] Do not inspect lines sufficiently. ‘
“We are in the initial phase. We have a rudimentary understanding of what happened and we are conducting an ongoing investigation, ”he said.
NBC 5 has reached out to public relations officials with Atmos regarding the lawsuit but has not received any feedback.
The company previously stated that its equipment was working as intended.
The law firm and local residents are still eagerly awaiting what, according to investigators, caused the explosion.
“It is very likely that we will have our own experts and see if we are okay with the state’s investigation,” said Allen.
After Karriem managed to collect a few personal items from his previous home, he paused to say one last prayer.
“I had to close it. I wanted to let God know that I am grateful for my life even though I have lost all of my possessions, ”he said. “I will continue.”
However, he is concerned about his neighbors, many low-income families who are struggling to recover from the explosion.
On Tuesday, the city of Dallas announced that it was working with multiple organizations to provide some kind of one stop resource point for 250 displaced tenants. Assistance is offered to residents, from finding ways to terminate leases to replacing lost documents.
In a statement, the city said:
The City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Dallas Public Library, and the Office of the Mayor and City Council have coordinated with area nonprofits and Volunteer Organizations Working in Disasters (VOAD) to provide a resource guide and Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) in the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library during regular DPL business hours Tuesday and Wednesday. Only tenants of the Highland Hills Apartments can be looked after on Tuesday, October 5th from 10am to 6pm and Wednesday, October 6th from 11am to 7pm
Individuals who wish to support the residents of the Highland Hills Apartments are asked to donate to the Dallas Foundation’s Emergency Relief Fund, bit.ly/3oqXGVu.
If nonprofit groups want to help displaced residents, they can email oemdepartment@dallascityhall.com with their contact information and the resources they have provided for inclusion in the resource guide.
While the owners of the Highland Hills Apartments are responsible for housing their displaced tenants, the City of Dallas Office of Emergency Management (OEM) helped coordinate hotel stays. ‘
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