FORT WORTH, Texas — Following the explosion at a Fort Worth hotel last Monday, a restaurant worker who says he reported smelling gas before the explosion is suing Atmos Energy, the Musume restaurant, and companies that own and run the Sandman Signature Hotel.
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff, Jose Mira allegedly reported the smell of gas to a manager 90 minutes before the explosion. The lawsuit alleges “the gas was burning his eyeballs.”
Mira’s attorney, Eric Mayre with Mayre Law Firm, told WFAA the manager responded by stating that they noticed the smell earlier in the day and saying “something to the effect of, ‘It’s not gas, just keep working,’” Mayre said. “For me, that’s just gross negligence.”
WFAA reached out to the hotel owner, Northland Properties, for its response to the lawsuit. Northland Properties responded, saying in part:
"We appreciate the ongoing concern for those impacted by the incident in Fort Worth. Our focus remains on supporting our team and those who are recovering. Senior executives have traveled to Fort Worth to help our local management. We have been in contact with everyone on our team during this difficult time, and we remain available for them.
We are holding regular meetings with our team members to provide updates, extend ongoing counseling services, and address their concerns. We have also submitted Workers Compensation forms for all those who were hurt during the incident and relevant information has been shared with all team members. Team members continue to be compensated while we gain a better understanding of our operations moving forward."
Musume issued a statement Monday, saying: “We are learning more and more information every day about the turn of events last Monday. We want more than anything to find out how the explosion occurred and how it could have been prevented."
In response to the lawsuit filed on Friday, a Dallas County judge granted a one-week restraining order to prevent further cleanup of debris at the site, court documents show.
The lawsuit says Mira was in the restaurant (located in the hotel’s basement) when the explosion occurred. Mayre told WFAA his client was trapped in the darkness underneath debris for 30 minutes before he managed to escape.
“He said he basically crawled out like a snake,” Mayre said.
According to the lawsuit, Mira suffered head injuries and is having difficulty breathing. He has been released from the hospital but is still suffering from headaches, according to Mayre.
Last week, Atmos Energy said its equipment wasn’t to blame. Fort Worth Fire officials believe the explosion was gas-related, but haven’t officially determined gas was the cause. FWFD will shift its focus to the interior of the building.
“We’re gonna get to the bottom of it,” Mayre said.