Judge Consolidates Lawsuits Against Columbia Gas

SALEM, MA -- Salem Superior Court James Lang said eight of the 12 lawsuits that have been filed against Columbia Gas of Massachusetts and its parent, NiSource Inc., will proceed as one. The remaining four lawsuits to be filed against the utility for its role in the Sept. 13 gas explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover that killed one and injured more than 20 others, involved claims of wrongful death or serious injury.

Lang's ruling streamlines the legal process for potentially hundreds of people who had property damaged or destroyed and the thousands more who went weeks and months without gas service. But Lang also urged plaintiffs in the consolidated class action suit to work towards an out-of-court settlement, noting litigation could take years. To aid that process, he stayed the consolidated case now known as Francely Acosta v. Columbia Gas of Mass. and NiSource Inc. for 90 days to give the sides time to work out a settlement.

"We need to get these families and businesses back on their feet, and we believe that the fastest and most effective way to do that is to mediate with Columbia and NiSource," the co-lead attorneys for the plaintiffs said in a statement. "They have accepted full responsibility for this tragedy, and we see mediation as a chance to provide timely relief to the community as a whole – both the safe restoration of all gas service and financial compensation – quickly and fairly."

The four cases moving forward individually include civil suits filed by Lawrence residents Homayoun and Juana Maali and Omayra Figueroa of Lawrence. Figueroa's daughter was critically injured and has undergone six surgeries on her legs since the explosions destroyed her family's home.

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Top: The house on Chickering Road in Lawrence where 18-year-old Leonel Rondon was killed on Sept. 13. Rondon was sitting in the car parked in the driveway when a gas explosion destroyed the house and toppled the chimney onto the car. Photo by Dave Copeland/Patch.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).