Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Fatal Circle K Explosion

When a driver stops at a gas station, they assume they will be able to quickly fill up their vehicle with gas and be on their way. Unfortunately, the story does not always end like that.

A gas station explosion killed a woman in December 2021. The mother of five burned to death due to the negligence of the employees, who did not take appropriate action to save her. The woman’s family is now filing a wrongful death lawsuit against 13 defendants in total. The details of the lawsuit are unknown.

The explosion happened at a Circle K in Palm Harbor. The 46-year-old woman had stopped to refuel her vehicle with two of her children. While pumping gas, another customer’s vehicle made contact with the fuel dispenser. This caused the dispenser system to fold over and trap the woman against her vehicle.

Her terrified children alerted Circle K employees about the situation as they tried to free her. At the same time, the underground tanks continued supplying fuel, which led to a roaring fire. The woman was determined to be alive when the fire started. She burned to death as her children watched.

The family hired a legal team to investigate. It was discovered that each fuel dispenser has a shear valve, which serves as a fire suppression device to stop all fuel flow in the event of an emergency. This did not happen in the woman’s case, which meant that the shear valve did not work as intended.

Also, the Circle K employees had several minutes to intervene before the fire spread. They failed to trigger the emergency stop switch, which would have cut off the fuel supply and most likely saved the woman’s life.

Even more shocking is the fact that Circle K and its contractors had destroyed critical evidence. They got rid of the shear valve, which should have stopped the fire. There were also nuts and bolts that should have secured the fuel dispenser to the ground. However, they broke during the incident and the Circle K employees discarded those as well.

The legal team inspected the fuel station and fuel equipment for several days and discovered that the Circle K suffered from obvious systemic failures. There was ample opportunity to prevent the woman’s death, but they failed to act responsibly. The woman’s family and her legal team are seeking justice and compensation for the gas station’s negligence.

Contact a Wrongful Death Attorney Today

Property owners and businesses have a responsibility to keep customers and guests safe. When they fail to employ safety measures, it can lead to serious injuries and death.

If your loved one has been killed due to someone else’s negligence, the Tampa wrongful death attorneys from Moore Law can help. We can analyze your case and help you take the first steps toward justice. Call 813-510-5400 or fill out the online form to schedule a free consultation.

Source:

apnews.com/article/explosions-lawsuits-florida-united-states-f3e829355cf63c99dbcee5793728775e