A Tucson man who suffered third-degree burns over 92 percent of his body when his South Side duplex exploded last May has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Gas Corp.
According to the suit, a pipeline under Arnold Valenzuela's home was negligently installed and maintained and eventually developed a 2- to 3-inch crack.
The crack allowed natural gas to build up within Valenzuela's home, and when he lit a cigarette on May 27, his home, in the 1800 block of South Campbell Avenue, exploded, the suit says.
Because of the extent of his burns, the lawsuit says, Valenzuela 44, was kept in a medically induced coma for four months and remains hospitalized. He's had about 20 surgeries and his medical bills total more than $3.4 million.
Valenzuela is expected to have to undergo additional surgeries and his future medical costs will exceed $12 million, the lawsuit states.
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According to the lawsuit, he'll never work again, although his life expectancy remains unchanged.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys Kevin and Michael Moore on behalf of Valenzuela, his parents, Julia and Arturo Valenzuela, and his court-appointed conservators — his wife, Julia, and attorney Robert Fleming.
The lawsuit alleges Southwest Gas is obligated to odorize the gas, properly install and inspect the pipelines, conduct leak surveys and detect gas leaks in a timely manner and yet "breached the duties owed to members of the public, including Arnold Valenzuela."
"Julia and Arturo Valenzuela have endured their son's struggle back from the brink of death to a fate that has him covered head-to-toe with a patchwork of substitute, replacement skin, in pain and unable to perform even the most basic activities of daily life," the lawsuit says.
The Valenzuelas are asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Southwest Gas spokeswoman Libby Howell said that while the company cannot comment on pending litigation, a check of the area after the explosion showed the gas did, indeed, contain an odorant to make it smell bad.
Howell said a neighbor of a nearby unit said after the explosion that the smell of gas was apparent, but hadn't reported it.
In addition, Howell said the company does routine leak surveys every five years and that area was checked in 2004 with no problems detected.
According to gas and fire officials at the time, the blast lifted the roof off the duplex, blew out several windows and caused seven homes to be evacuated.
It took firefighters about five minutes to put out the blaze, which traveled through a common attic shared by the two homes. Damage was estimated at $250,000.
● According to the lawsuit filed on behalf of Arnold Valenzuela and others:
92 %
Of Valenzuela's body was burned when his home exploded last May.
20
Surgeries Valenzuela has had performed on him and he is expected to have additional surgeries.
$12 M
The amount his future medical costs will exceed, the lawsuit states.
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