A gas explosion injury claim is a claim for injuries, deaths and property losses caused when leaking natural gas ignites inside or near a building. The claim is made against whoever allowed the gas to escape: a utility, a contractor, a landlord, an appliance maker or an excavator who struck a line.
Blank Kim Injury Law represents people hurt in gas explosions and gas fires across Northern Virginia, in single-family homes, townhouses, apartment buildings, restaurants and commercial buildings. Our attorneys work from our Fairfax office on Chain Bridge Road, open 24/7. Attorney Robert Kim speaks Korean, and our paralegal team speaks Spanish.
If you smell gas: what to do first
Natural gas has no smell of its own. Utilities add an odorant that smells like rotten eggs or sulfur so that people notice a leak. If you smell it:
- Leave the building right away, and get everyone else out.
- Do not flip light switches, use a phone, start a car in the garage or do anything that could make a spark.
- Once you are well away from the building, call 911 and the gas utility’s emergency number.
- Do not go back inside until the fire department or the utility says it is safe.
If you reported a gas smell before an explosion, write down when you called, who you spoke with and what they told you. A leak report that went unanswered is one of the most important pieces of evidence in these cases.
What causes gas explosions
Investigators usually trace an explosion to one of these sources:
- Corroded or aging pipelines and service lines that were not inspected or replaced on schedule
- Excavation damage, when a construction or utility crew strikes a buried gas line
- Faulty installation of gas appliances, flexible connectors or piping by a plumber or contractor
- Defective appliances and parts, such as stoves, water heaters, furnaces, regulators and shutoff valves
- Abandoned or uncapped lines left after a remodel or appliance removal
- Meter and regulator failures, including damage from vehicles or ice
- Slow response to leak reports by a utility or property manager
Some explosions involve propane rather than natural gas. Propane behaves differently, settles in low places and is supplied by different companies, so those cases follow a different investigation path.
Who can be held responsible for a gas explosion
Gas utilities
Gas utilities in Virginia are regulated by the State Corporation Commission, and gas pipelines are subject to federal pipeline safety standards. Those standards cover inspection, leak surveys, corrosion control and emergency response. A utility that ignored a leak report or let a corroded line stay in service can be liable for the harm that followed.
Excavators and locating companies
Virginia requires anyone digging to request utility markings through the state’s 811 notification system before breaking ground, and requires utilities to mark their lines. A crew that dug without a ticket, or a locator that marked a line in the wrong place, can be responsible for a resulting explosion. See our page on trench and excavation accidents.
Contractors, landlords and manufacturers
Plumbers and HVAC contractors who install gas piping and appliances must do so safely. Landlords and building managers who control gas equipment must maintain it and respond to complaints. For defective appliances and parts, Virginia does not recognize strict product liability, so claims proceed in negligence and breach of warranty, including the implied warranty of merchantability under Va. Code § 8.2-314. Privity is not required for a personal injury warranty claim under Va. Code § 8.2-318, so you do not need to have bought the product yourself. Read more about product liability claims.
Injuries caused by gas explosions
An explosion injures people in several ways at once: the blast wave, flying debris, the fire that follows and, sometimes, the collapse of the building itself. The injuries we see include:
- Severe burn injuries that require skin grafts and long hospital stays
- Smoke and heat inhalation injuries to the airway and lungs
- Blast injuries to the ears, eyes and internal organs
- Traumatic brain injuries from the pressure wave and from being thrown
- Fractures, crush injuries and amputations when walls or floors collapse
- Lasting scarring and disfigurement and post-traumatic stress
Serious burn and trauma patients in the region are often treated at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, the Level I trauma center in Falls Church. Recovery often takes years and involves surgery, therapy and counseling, and a claim needs to account for all of it.
Protecting the evidence after an explosion
The physical evidence in a gas explosion case is fragile. Utilities, insurers and property owners often send their own investigators within hours, and the appliances, fittings, meter and piping can be removed from the scene before the injured family has anyone on their side.
- Do not let anyone take or discard appliances, connectors, valves or the gas meter without an agreement to preserve them.
- Get the fire department and fire marshal report numbers.
- Save your gas bills, leak reports, service records and any texts or emails about a gas smell.
- Photograph the scene and the damage before cleanup starts, if it is safe to do so.
We send preservation demands quickly and work with fire origin investigators and engineers who can serve as expert witnesses and examine the components under agreed protocols.
Virginia law that shapes a gas explosion claim
| Rule | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury deadline | Generally two years from the injury | Va. Code § 8.01-243(A) |
| Property damage deadline | Five years | Va. Code § 8.01-243(B) |
| Wrongful death deadline | Two years from the death | Va. Code § 8.01-244(B) |
| Punitive damages | Capped at $350,000 | Va. Code § 8.01-38.1 |
| Contributory negligence | Any fault by the injured person generally bars recovery | Virginia common law |
Defendants in explosion cases sometimes argue that the injured person caused the leak, ignored the smell or lit the spark. Because Virginia’s contributory negligence rule can bar recovery entirely, those arguments have to be answered with evidence. When an explosion takes a life, the family’s wrongful death claim is brought by the personal representative under Va. Code § 8.01-50.
How we handle gas explosion cases
- Free case review. Call or use the form on this page, day or night.
- Preservation. We notify the utility, owners and insurers to preserve the scene and every component.
- Investigation. We gather fire reports, utility leak and inspection records, 811 tickets, maintenance logs and appliance histories.
- Damages. We document medical care, lost income, the loss of your home and belongings, and the long-term cost of burn and trauma recovery.
- Resolution. We present the claim to each responsible party and file suit in Virginia court when a fair resolution is not offered.
Talk with us in English, Korean or Spanish. If we take your case, we explain our fee agreement, including how case costs are handled, in writing before you sign.
