Jessica Lopez is suing Atmos Energy, claiming its negligence led to a home explosion in Lake Dallas that left her with severe injuries and displaced families.
LAKE DALLAS, Texas — A woman critically injured in last week’s home explosion in Lake Dallas has filed a lawsuit against Atmos Energy Corporation, alleging the company’s negligence led to the blast that leveled the home and left her with life-altering injuries.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Dallas County, comes days after a house fire in the 600 block of Moseley Street escalated into an explosion that rattled the neighborhood and displaced multiple families.
According to the lawsuit, Jessica Bailey Lopez claims an “uncontrolled release of natural gas” from Atmos Energy’s system entered her home before igniting on March 19. The explosion, described by witnesses as sounding like “a bomb going off,” destroyed the residence and sent debris across the neighborhood.
“Jessica was buried alive, trapped under the rubble and debris that was once her home until good Samaritans, heroes living in the neighborhood ran to Jessica’s screams begging for help,” the lawsuit states.
Fire officials say crews responded at about 7:05 p.m. to find the single-family home fully engulfed in flames. Moments later, the structure exploded.
Neighbors rushed to help and pulled Lopez from the wreckage before she was airlifted to a hospital. Her condition has not been publicly updated, but the lawsuit states she suffered severe burns, broken bones and other traumatic injuries and remains in intensive care.
The filing alleges Lopez was buried beneath debris after the blast ripped the roof off her home and collapsed its walls. It further claims the home did not have natural gas appliances and that she was not an Atmos customer at the time of the explosion.
Attorneys for Lopez argue the incident was the result of failures by Atmos Energy to properly maintain, inspect and monitor its natural gas infrastructure. The lawsuit accuses the company of negligence and gross negligence, citing alleged lapses in training, supervision and safety procedures related to its gas distribution system.
The victim is seeking damages exceeding $1 million, including compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, physical impairment and disfigurement, as well as potential exemplary damages, the lawsuit states.
WFAA has reached out to Atmos Energy for comment since the filing of the lawsuit.
“Our highest priority remains the safety of our employees, our system, and our communities. We are reviewing the matter and will withhold comment,” the company said in a Tuesday statement.
Atmos previously told WFAA that its crews are working with local officials to investigate the cause of the incident and safely restore gas service in the area. The company has been conducting door-to-door safety checks and assisting displaced residents with temporary housing.
Officials say the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
The explosion comes just days after two reported gas leaks in the same area, one of which Atmos Energy attributed to a construction crew not associated with the company striking a pipeline. Authorities have not confirmed whether those incidents are connected.
In the aftermath, some residents were temporarily evacuated, and portions of the neighborhood remain without natural gas service as repairs and safety checks continue. City officials have opened a resource center to assist those affected, while emergency crews maintain a presence near the blast site.