CHARLESTON – A business claims Mountaineer Gas was responsible for a gas explosion that destroyed two video lottery terminals, and it also accuses two Mountaineer Gas employees of destroying evidence during the investigation of the incident.
Clay Music Corp. filed its lawsuit in Kanawha Circuit Court against Mountaineer Gas Company.
According to the complaint, Clay Music operated two video lottery terminals on a property located in Beaver in Raleigh County. This property was not a natural gas customer of Mountaineer Gas, but Mountaineer was responsible for natural gas distribution in the area and had an underground gas distribution line situated near the property.
On July 18, 2021, a gas leak occurred that ultimately caused a gas explosion and fire that damaged the plaintiff's two video lottery terminals, according to the complaint.
Clay Music says Mountaineer negligently failed in its duty to inspect, test, monitor, repair and issue warnings concerning the condition of the gas line. Additionally, it claims Mountaineer employees removed a section of the sewer line related to the explosion, thereby obstructing the investigation. Clay Music says these actions by Mountaineer were executed with the intention of impeding the investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Clay Music claims that it has lost approximately $4,900 in revenue per month from the loss of the two video lottery terminals.
Clay Music is seeking damages for lost revenue from the two damaged video lottery terminals exceeding $4,900 per month to date. plus pre- and post-judgment interests, attorney fees, punitive damages and other relief.
The plaintiff is represented in this case by David R. Barney Jr. of Thompson Barney in Charleston.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 23-C-657