$7.5M Settlement in Deadly Massachusetts Propane Explosion
The family of an electrician who died in a 2010 Massachusetts propane explosion has settled a lawsuit against a propane distributor and a plumbing company for $7.5 million.
A lawyer for the family of William Nichols says the family and two other people who suffered permanent injuries in the blast in Norfolk settled last week for a total of $22.5 million.
The lawsuit alleged that EnergyUSA under-filled a new propane tank causing the chemical odorant which had been added to fade. This made the leaking propane odorless and undetectable.
Smolinsky Plumbing and Heating allegedly failed to tighten a connection that led to the leak.
Investigators said the propane had “virtually no odorant.”
Nichols, of Blackstone, suffered burns over 80 percent of his body.
The explosion led to new regulations for propane.
- California Chiropractor Sentenced to 54 Years for $150M Workers’ Comp Scheme
- Work Safety Group Releases List of ‘Dirty Dozen’ Employers
- Beyond the Claim: How Social Canvassing is Transforming Insurance Fraud Detection
- Jury Awards $80M to 3 Former Zurich NA Employees for Wrongful Termination
- Poll: Consumers OK with AI in P/C Insurance, but Not So Much for Claims and Underwriting
- Property Restoration Industry: A Culture in Need of Repair?
- Report: Vehicle Complexity, Labor ‘Reshaping’ Auto Insurance and Collision Repair
- Millions of Recalled Hyundai and Kia Vehicles, With Dangerous Defect, Remain on Road