Following the devastating explosion at a Florida City strip mall last month, Rainbow Smoke Shop has filed a lawsuit against Florigas, Inc., the propane supplier involved in activities that led to the blast. As reported by Local 10 News, the incident, which occurred on May 24, injured 10 individuals and caused significant damage to several businesses, including Rainbow Smoke Shop located adjacent to Caribbean’s Heart restaurant, the epicenter of the explosion.
The lawsuit, filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, asserts that Florigas failed to follow critical safety measures, which would have prevented the explosion. According to the complaint, technicians from Anel Costatrueba Company had been hired by Florigas to handle the propane systems in the restaurant. "Just prior to the explosion, two of the three gas fired kitchen appliances had been fired by a technician from Anel Costatrueba Company, when someone in the kitchen indicated that they smelled gas. Moments later, the kitchen exploded," notes the lawsuit. The owner of the restaurant, Syndy Thelemaque, told Local 10 News that despite the destruction, she is grateful that lives were not lost.
Newly released surveillance footage given to NBC6 depicts the severity of the blast from the perspective of Rainbow Smoke Shop's interior. In a lawsuit filed yesterday, attorneys representing Rainbow Novelty/Rainbow Smoke Shop allege that Florigas skipped essential safety checks, such as leak testing and ensuring proper ventilation before igniting the kitchen appliances. "We look forward to getting justice for our client,” attorney Vivian Fazio stated to NBC6.
The inability to locate the contractor Anel Costatrueba Company has complicated the matter, but as per the attorneys, this does not absolve Florigas of responsibility. "We've looked through the state of Florida, looked for licenses, social media pages, websites, they don't exist that we can find," attorney Sam Coffey said in an interview with NBC6. Meanwhile, Florigas has not responded to inquiries about the incident or the allegations against them, despite multiple attempts for a comment.
This case aims not only to seek compensation for the losses suffered by Rainbow Smoke Shop but also to potentially influence corporate policies toward heightened safety standards. The attorneys stress the importance of compliance with safety regulations to prevent such catastrophes in the future. The lawsuit is demanding damages exceeding $50,000, excluding interest or court costs, and is requesting a jury trial. At present, investigators are still working to determine the precise cause of the explosion, with no criminal charges yet filed.
