CHARLESTON – Mountaineer Gas Company claims contractors damaged underground gas mains three times in less than two months, and it says the third time led to a house explosion in Dunbar.
The company filed its complaint August 16 in Kanawha Circuit Court against WV Airnet doing business as SecureNet, B N D Services and 3J Underground.
According to the complaint, SecureNet was installing underground fiber optic cable and facilities through South Charleston, Nitro and Dunbar. It contracted B N D Services to install the cable, then B N D Services contracted 3J Underground to assist with the project.
On June 8, the contractors were doing horizontal drilling near 5503 MacCorkle Avenue in South Charleston when workers damaged Mountaineer’s gas main.
Mountaineer says the companies contacted West Virginia 811 beforehand to request a locate request for underground facilities, and Mountaineer says it marked the location. It says the contractors failed to hand-dig or “spot” Mountaineer’s underground gas facilities while using the directional drilling equipment.
The gas company says it repaired the damage. The cost to do so was $9,575.33.
On July 31, Mountaineer says the contractor companies had a similar incident on 12th Street in Dunbar. It cost the gas company $4,037.34 to repair that damage.
And on August 7, the gas company says the contractor companies did it again on Virginia Avenue in Dunbar but didn’t report the damage for several hours and left the site before Mountaineer personnel arrived.
“While Mountaineer was investigating the source of the odor, a house located at 1321 Virginia Avenue exploded,” the complaint states. “Natural gas migrated from the damaged gas main and into the house.”
Mountaineer says the cost to repair that gas main was $17,981.61.
The gas company accuses the defendants of negligence and violating state code regarding underground drilling requirements, failing to report a gas leak immediately. It also accuses SecureNet and B N D Services of negligent hiring, retention and supervision.
Mountaineer Gas seeks compensatory damages of $31,594.28 plus interest and costs. The complaint also notes that Mountaineer planned to seek damages if any third-party claims were filed against it for the defendants’ negligence, including cost of defense, settlements and/or judgments. Mountaineer also seeks other damages, expenses, costs and other relief.
On September 8, the couple that owned the Dunbar home that exploded filed a lawsuit against Mountaineer Gas for the incident. They named the three defendants in Mountaineer’s lawsuit as defendants as well.
Mountaineer Gas is being represented by Carrie Goodwin Fenwick of Goodwin & Goodwin in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Jennifer Bailey.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 23-C-714