SAN ANTONIO – Two residents injured in a North Side house explosion have filed a new joint lawsuit against CPS Energy, just days after withdrawing their original suit.
Mayte Terrie Reeves and Jose Ochoa initially filed their lawsuit on April 27, six days after their home was destroyed in an explosion along Preston Hollow Drive, near Thousand Oaks Drive. The San Antonio Fire Department indicated that the explosions were likely caused by a buildup of natural gas.
Just two days later, the couple decided to nullify the lawsuit and seek representation from a different law firm, Lyons & Simmons, LLP. This firm previously represented a family who won a significant case against CPS Energy in 2021, resulting in a jury ordering the utility to pay $109 million in damages, though CPS Energy later only provided $3 million to that family.
‘Entirely preventable’
In their new lawsuit filed in Bexar County’s 131st Civil District Court, Reeves and Ochoa’s lawyers detailed the harrowing events of April 21. They were at home when another house exploded two doors down. After the first explosion, they evacuated due to concerns about natural gas in the area but were later told it was safe to return.
However, about two and a half hours later, their own home exploded, fueled by natural gas leaking from CPS Energy’s pipeline. The lawsuit claims this incident was “entirely preventable.”
Despite surviving the explosion, Reeves and Ochoa sustained severe injuries and are now facing life-altering consequences. Their lawsuit seeks $1 million each in damages, emphasizing that their injuries were caused by CPS Energy’s negligence in safely operating its natural gas system.
The lawsuit alleges that CPS Energy was aware of the risks associated with their natural gas operations but acted with “conscious indifference” to the safety of residents in the area. As of now, both victims remain hospitalized at Brooke Army Medical Center.
Yet another CPS Energy lawsuit
Interestingly, this lawsuit is not the only one CPS Energy is facing. Just a day prior, another couple from the San Antonio area filed a separate lawsuit against the utility and two electrical equipment companies. This case concerns a transformer explosion that severely damaged their home and injured them both.
Johnny and Irene Sanchez, the plaintiffs in this case, are also seeking over $1 million in damages after an incident on February 8 at their home in far west Bexar County.
