A jury decided Wednesday that a gas company was negligent in an explosion that flattened a home in West Park in 2023.
Read more Hallandale Beach home invasion suspect who pointed gun at children arrested, cops say
Amerigas Propane was found 65% negligent for the Dec. 19, 2023 blast that damaged Clara Wilkerson and her son Joel West’s home.
“I feel like justice is being served with the help of my lawyers,” West said. “They didn’t care about their people. I feel like Amerigas could have done a better job at controlling their substance that’s dangerous for the world, and I feel like today was a great day for a regular person.”
A previous report from the state fire marshal said the explosion was likely caused by an accidental gas leak.
Read more Ex-Flanigan’s manager accused of stealing over $33K from Hallandale Beach restaurant
A family of four was inside their home at the time, but survived the blast. People who lived next door needed to go to the hospital, and other homes were damaged, including Wilkerson and West’s home.
Residents filed lawsuits against Amerigas and the owner of the home that exploded, alleging that the company failed to remove the gas and lock the gas tank with a tamper-proof lock, and that the company was reckless because it knew that anyone could open the gas tank and cause an explosion.
The jury ruled that the owner of the home was 15% negligent and a construction company 20% responsible.
Read more 15 migrants taken to The Bahamas after vessel interdicted with 19 near Miami Beach, USCG says