Case type Utility Injuries & Property Damage
Gas Line Explosions & Leaks
Burned, injured or forced from your home by a gas leak, fire or explosion, or lost a loved one? Tell us your story.
This page is for people hurt or displaced by a natural gas or propane leak, fire or explosion, and for families after a fatal blast. CBW Law reviews what happened, which part of the gas system failed and who was responsible for it. Tell Us Your Story. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Gas leaks are usually caught by smell long before anything ignites. When they are not, the result can be a fire or explosion that destroys a home, injures the people inside and damages buildings nearby. Leaks come from many places: a corroded pipe, a line hit during digging, a bad appliance connection or a failure at the utility. An explosion does not by itself show who was at fault. A gas explosion lawyer works backward from the evidence to find which part of the system failed and who was responsible for maintaining it.
Natural gas and propane are different hazards
Most homes and businesses use either natural gas, delivered by pipe from a utility, or propane, stored in a tank on the property. Both burn, and both can explode when leaked gas meets a spark. They behave differently once they escape.
How the two gases compare
Warning signs of a gas leak
- A skunk-like or unusual gas odor near appliances, meters or outdoors1
- A hissing or roaring sound near a gas line1
- Dead or discolored plants in an otherwise healthy area, or continuous bubbling in wet or flooded ground1
- Blowing dirt around a pipeline area, or frozen ground in warm weather1
What to do if you suspect a gas leak
Get out first. PHMSA, the federal pipeline safety agency, advises1:
If you smell gas
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Leave right away on foot
Do not try to find the leak. Get others out and move upwind if you can.
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Avoid anything that could spark
Do not flip light switches, unplug appliances, start a car, open an electric garage door, ring doorbells or use a phone inside.
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Call from a safe place
Once you are away from the area, call 911 and then the gas company.
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Do not touch valves
Leave pipeline valves to the utility and emergency crews.
After a hurricane or other disaster, the National Weather Service advises staying out of any building if you smell gas13. Do not go back inside until the utility or fire department says it is safe.
Gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide
A gas leak and carbon monoxide are different dangers. A leak is unburned fuel escaping, and it is odorized so you can smell it. Carbon monoxide is produced when fuel burns, including in furnaces, gas ranges and water heaters. It is odorless and colorless4.
- CDC reports that more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, and more than 100,000 visit an emergency department4.
- Carbon monoxide symptoms are often described as flu-like: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion4.
- A home can have a carbon monoxide problem with no gas smell at all, so a carbon monoxide alarm and a gas leak warning are not substitutes for each other.
Explosion injuries usually come from heat, flying debris, collapsing structures and smoke. Our Severe Burn Injuries page explains burn treatment and claims in more detail.
Common causes of gas line leaks and explosions
Investigators often trace an incident to one or more of these causes:
- Corrosion of metal pipe, including buried customer piping that no one inspected5
- Excavation damage, a leading cause of life-threatening pipeline incidents15
- Defective or loose connections at appliances, meters and regulators
- Poor installation or repair work
- Overpressure from equipment or engineering failures9
- Maintenance or replacement projects that were not properly planned9
- Storm, flood or earthquake damage to lines and fittings
Federal rules require pipeline operators to run programs that prevent excavation damage, often through a one-call system6. Anyone digging should call 811 first14. When a contractor skips that step or ignores the markings, a struck line can leak gas into nearby buildings.
Settings with higher risk
- Neighborhoods served by older cast iron mains that are being replaced, where project planning matters9
- Homes with long runs of buried metal customer piping that no one inspects5
- Areas with active road, utility or construction digging15
- Apartment and mixed-use buildings, where one leak can affect many units
- Places recovering from hurricanes, floods or earthquakes, where lines and fittings may be damaged113
- Homes with propane tanks and low spaces where vapor can collect3
A large-scale example
On September 13, 2018, high-pressure gas entered a low-pressure system in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts. Fires and explosions damaged 131 structures. The NTSB found the probable cause was the utility's weak engineering management of a project that abandoned a cast iron main without first moving regulator sensing lines9. Other major incidents include the 2010 San Bruno, California, and 2011 Allentown, Pennsylvania, pipeline explosions10.
Utility-owned lines and customer-owned piping
Who is responsible for a pipe often depends on where it is. A utility usually owns the mains and service lines up to the meter. Piping on the customer's side of the meter is often the customer's or building owner's responsibility, but arrangements vary by utility, state and building.
Federal rules recognize this split. When an operator does not maintain a customer's buried piping, it must tell the customer in writing that the piping may corrode and leak and should be inspected and repaired5. Whether that notice was sent, and what it said, can matter after an incident.
An explosion tells you gas escaped and found a spark. The records tell you why, and whose job it was to stop it.
Who may be responsible in a gas explosion lawsuit
Depending on the facts, a claim review may look at:
- Gas utilities and distribution companies
- Pipeline operators
- Excavation and construction contractors
- Plumbers and appliance installers
- Landlords and property managers
- Propane suppliers
- Makers of appliances, valves and connectors
If a contractor damaged the line, the contractor's insurer may be involved. If a rental building's piping failed, the landlord's maintenance records matter. See our premises liability page for more on property owner duties.
Injuries, deaths, displacement and property loss
Gas explosions can cause burns, smoke inhalation, broken bones, head injuries, hearing damage and emotional trauma. Neighbors can be hurt or displaced even when the leak started next door. When someone dies, the family may have a wrongful death claim.
Depending on the facts and the state, a gas explosion lawsuit may seek compensation for:
- Medical care, surgery and rehabilitation
- Lost income and lost earning ability
- Pain, scarring and emotional distress
- Repair or rebuilding of the home
- Damaged furniture, clothing, electronics and keepsakes
- Hotel and temporary housing costs while displaced
Investigations and the records that matter
After a serious incident, several investigations may run at once. Fire departments look at origin and cause. Operators must report qualifying incidents to the National Response Center within one hour of confirmed discovery7. The NTSB investigates pipeline accidents that involve a death, significant environmental harm or substantial property damage8. State pipeline safety regulators may also investigate.
Records that often help a gas explosion attorney understand what happened include:
- Fire department and fire marshal reports
- Utility leak surveys, inspection and maintenance records
- Prior odor complaints and service calls
- Excavation tickets and locate markings
- Customer notices about buried piping5
- Emergency call recordings and response times
- Regulator incident reports and findings
Insurance after a gas explosion
A homeowners policy usually includes property damage, additional living expenses, personal liability and medical payments coverage, and the exact terms are a legal contract11. Read your policy carefully and report the loss promptly.
Insurance and a legal claim are separate. Your insurer may pay for repairs, then seek to recover what it paid from a responsible party. You may also have losses your policy does not cover, such as injuries, deductibles or underinsured property, which a claim against the responsible party may address. A gas explosion lawyer can explain how the two fit together, and a home inventory helps with both12.
Evidence to preserve safely
Records and evidence to keep
The incident
- Fire, police and utility report numbers
- Photos and video taken after officials allow access
- Names and contacts of witnesses and neighbors
- Notes on any gas smell in the days before
Gas service
- Gas bills and service records
- Any notices about buried piping or repairs
- Records of appliance installation or service
- Contractor names and dates of nearby digging
Losses
- Medical records and bills
- An inventory of damaged property
- Hotel, food and moving receipts
- Insurance claim letters and adjuster notes
Let investigators work
Do not enter a damaged building, move debris or remove appliances or pipe fittings. Those parts may be key evidence, and the site may still be dangerous.
Filing deadlines for a gas explosion claim
Each state sets its own deadlines. California generally allows two years for injury or death16, New York three years for personal injury and property damage17, and Texas two years, with death claims counted from the date of death18.
Some gas systems are owned by cities. Claims against a government body usually need a written notice first: six months in California19 and Texas21, and 90 days in New York20. Insurance policies also have their own reporting deadlines.
What happens after you contact CBW Law
How a gas explosion claim review works
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You tell us what happened
Share where the leak or explosion happened, when, and how you were affected.
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We look at the gas system
We review which part failed and who owned or worked on it.
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We check deadlines and insurance
We flag notice rules and explain how insurance and a claim may fit together.
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We explain what we see
We tell you plainly whether we think a gas explosion claim may be possible.
For other utility hazards, see our Utility Injuries & Property Damage overview.
Plain English
Medical, Health & Insurance
Gas incidents involve technical, medical and insurance terms. Here are some you may see.
Gas system terms
- Mercaptan
- The harmless chemical added to natural gas to give it a skunk-like smell1.
- Lower explosive limit
- The lowest concentration of gas in air that can ignite. Odorized gas must be detectable well below it2.
- Service line
- The pipe that carries gas from the main to a customer's meter.
- Customer piping
- Gas piping on the customer's side of the meter, which the utility may not maintain5.
Medical terms
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Illness from breathing CO, an odorless gas made when fuel burns4.
- Smoke inhalation
- Injury to the airway and lungs from breathing smoke and hot gases.
- Blast injury
- Injury from the pressure wave, debris or collapse caused by an explosion.
Insurance terms
Questions
Frequently asked gas explosion questions
Short answers to questions people ask after a gas leak or explosion.
What should I do if I suspect a gas leak?
Leave on foot right away, avoid anything that could make a spark, and call 911 and the gas company from a safe place1.
Who investigates an explosion?
What if a contractor damaged the line?
The contractor may be responsible, especially if it did not call 811 or ignored markings14. The utility's own conduct may still be examined. A gas explosion lawyer can look at both.
Is a gas leak the same as carbon monoxide?
No. A leak is unburned gas you can usually smell. Carbon monoxide comes from burning fuel and has no smell4. Both are dangerous.
Who is responsible for the gas pipe in my yard?
It depends on your utility and where the pipe is. Utilities often maintain lines up to the meter, while customers may be responsible for buried piping after it5.
Can I file a gas explosion lawsuit if my insurance paid?
Possibly. Insurance does not always cover everything, especially injuries. Your insurer may also pursue the responsible party for what it paid.
My neighbor's house exploded and damaged mine. Do I have a claim?
You may. Neighbors who are injured or whose property is damaged can have claims against whoever was responsible for the leak.
What if I rent my home?
Renters may have claims for injuries and for their own belongings. Landlords may be responsible for building gas piping and appliances, depending on the lease and local law.
When should I talk to a gas explosion attorney?
Early, before evidence is cleared and before any notice deadline passes. A gas explosion attorney can ask that physical evidence be preserved.
Tell Us Your Story
A gas fire or explosion can take a home, a livelihood or a life in a moment. Finding out why it happened often takes records that only the utility, contractors and investigators hold.
If you were hurt, displaced or lost someone in a gas leak, fire or explosion, tell us what happened. CBW Law will review your information and explain what we see. Submitting information does not create an attorney-client relationship or guarantee representation.
Tell Us Your Story Call (800) 476-2416
This page is general information about gas leaks, fires and explosions. It is not legal, medical or insurance advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. A leak, fire or explosion does not, by itself, establish that anyone was negligent or legally responsible. Laws and deadlines differ by state, and no outcome can be promised. If you smell gas, leave and call 911 from a safe place.
