Lawsuits Filed on Behalf of Victims of Apartment Complex Explosion

Attorneys from the firms of Bailey Glasser and Gupta Wessler have filed two lawsuits in D.C. Superior Court on behalf of survivors of an August natural gas explosion at the Flower Branch Apartments in Silver Spring.

The first lawsuit seeks damages for personal injury and wrongful death for the families of those killed by the explosion and fire, and those who sustained physical injuries. The second is seeking justice, and answers, for those residents whose lives have been drastically impacted by the explosion and resulting fire.

“Individuals and families who escaped with their lives still lost their homes, life savings, identification documents, furniture, peace of mind and many sleepless nights since the gas explosion that changed their lives forever,” said Bailey Glasser partner John Barrett at a press conference announcing the lawsuits.

Barrett said the lawsuits also seek to improve safety for the area’s gas customers. “We want safety reforms at Washington Gas and at Kay Management to help ensure that the nightmare at Flower Branch doesn’t happen to other homes in Maryland or the District of Columbia,” Barrett said. “They must improve their equipment and processes by which they maintain their lines and respond to customer warning about gas leaks.”

Bailey Glasser attorneys Brian Glasser, John Barrett, Cary Joshi, Greg Haddad, David Selby and Sam Hrko and Gupta Wessler are working with CASA, a group that advocates for low-income women, workers and tenants. The explosion and fire killed seven people, injured 30 and displaced more than 80 families from their homes.