An employee who narrowly escaped with his life from the deadly blast at Musume Fort Worth is taking his employers and the energy company to court over claims of negligence. Jose Mira, who had been on the job for about half a year when the explosion occurred, is seeking monetary relief exceeding $1,000,000 after surviving the January 8 incident that left him with hearing loss and haunting trauma. Mira had detected a strong smell of gas at the start of his shift and immediately reported it, but alleges his supervisors did nothing to address it, NBC DFW reported.
The employee, who remembers being surrounded by fire and unable to escape quickly enough to assist a coworker still in the hospital, is now suing the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel, its management, the building owners, and Atmos Energy. According to his lawsuit, a spokesperson for Musume Fort Worth stated that the restaurant is working with its insurance company to ensure ongoing wages for all affected employees, and it has reworked its forthcoming 6-year anniversary event into a fundraiser. "Every dollar raised will go toward them," the spokesperson added, in a statement, obtained by NBC DFW.
In a related matter, a co-worker of Mira's, Karen Mayte Lopez Ontiveros, is now seeking a staggering $177 million in damages after being critically injured in the same explosion. Lopez Ontiveros, who is currently fighting for her life in a medically induced coma, was in the epicenter of the blast. Her lawsuit accuses the hotel and restaurant management, and Atmos Energy of gross negligence. According to The Dallas Morning News, Lopez Ontiveros and others had smelled gas and reported burning eyes only to have their warnings go unheeded.
As if to further highlight the severity of the blast, Lopez Ontiveros's lawsuit details the extent of her injuries, which include burns covering nearly a quarter of her body, broken ribs, punctured lungs, and multiple surgeries with more expected. The plaintiff alleges that the defendants had "exclusive control" over the evacuation decision and failed to take appropriate action, consciously disregarding employee safety. "To be rewarded with companies who lacked the care of giving her notice that her life could be in danger is unacceptable and they will pay for their actions," attorney Kevin Kelley said in a release, as per The Dallas Morning News.
Fort Worth fire officials have stated that an assessment by Atmos found no indication that its systems were involved in the blast. However, the fire department maintains that natural gas played a role in the incident and is now focusing its investigation inside the building.
