Missouri attorney general files lawsuit against Liberty Utilities after deadly gas explosion
The April 9 explosion killed a 5-year-old boy and severely injured the boy's father and sister. His father filed a lawsuit against Liberty Utilities and three other companies in April, and the couple who lived next door also filed a lawsuit against the same companies last week.
'ChiefsAholic' sentenced for 2022 Oklahoma bank robbery
Now, Bailey is following suit, accusing Liberty Utilities of violating the Missouri Underground Facility Safety and Damage Prevention Act.
'This was a preventable tragedy,' Bailey said. 'These companies must take their responsibilities seriously. The law is clear, the process is simple, and the consequences of failure are catastrophic. We're holding Liberty Utilities accountable to ensure that every utility in Missouri does its due diligence to prevent future disasters.'
Missouri's Underground Facility Safety and Damage Prevention Act requires utility companies to respond to 'locate' requests and mark the location of underground facilities within two working days. Attorney General Bailey said Liberty Utilities not only failed to do so but also falsely reported that the site was marked.
Section 319.045 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri authorizes the attorney general to seek injunctive relief and civil penalties against any person who violates this Act. Under Missouri law, Bailey said 'he is duty-bound to enforce compliance with public safety statutes and take legal action against entities that endanger Missourians through negligence or misconduct.'
Second lawsuit filed by neighbors of 5-year-old boy killed in Lexington gas explosion
'Tragedies like this are exactly why this law exists,' he said. 'It's imperative that companies follow the law—not just to avoid penalties, but to protect lives.'
Bailey is seeking the maximum penalty allowed by law, as well as mandatory safety training, the appointment of a compliance monitor and a permanent injunction barring further violations.
.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mobile man hospitalized after gunshot wound
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Mobile police responded to a call of a man shot near Lafayette Street and Martin Luther King Junior Avenue Thursday night. The man suffered a gunshot wound to his right foot at around 7:15 p.m. Theodore man killed in deadly crash The man was taken to USA Health University Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. This story is developing and will be updated as more details become available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gunfire strikes Mobile home, vehicle
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — Two homes and a vehicle were struck by gunfire on Jackson Road. According to a release from the Mobile Police Department, officers were called to the 1100 block of Jackson Road for a report of a shooting on Sunday, Aug. 10, at around 5:34 p.m. UPDATE: 2 dead, 1 hospitalized after industrial incident in Mobile When the officers arrived, they found that gunfire had struck two homes and a vehicle. No one was reportedly injured during the shootings. This is an active investigation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs Files Amended Defamation Lawsuit Over 'Outrageous Lies'
Sean 'Diddy' Combs has filed an amended lawsuit and claimed the defendants listed conducted 'willful schemes to fabricate and broadcast outrageous lies, to leverage those falsehoods to enrich themselves, gain social media fame, and promote their brands.' In a 25-page document filed on Monday (Aug. 11), the 55-year-old accused Courtney Burgess, his lawyer Ariel Mitchell, and Nexstar Media Inc. (NewsNation) of the aforementioned behaviors and is seeking no less than $100 million and a trial by jury. 'Social media protagonists, including but not limited to Defendants Burgess and Mitchell, have for over a year been fueling a media frenzy, fabricating outlandish claims, and stirring up baseless speculation about Mr. Combs, vying to outdo each other in a shameless competition to draw attention to themselves, with no regard for the truth,' detailed the filing viewed by VIBE. 'In this pitiful spectacle, all pretense of objectivity has been abandoned, as a global audience feasts at the all-you-can-eat buffet of wild lies and conspiracy theories.' The alleged lies spread by the defendants include false claims of videos depicting sexual assaults of minors and celebrities, a police report corroborating fabricated rape allegations, and secret recordings to extort partners. The legal document also highlighted that Mitchell was recently named in a Florida Bar complaint arising out of allegations that she bribed a witness to corroborate sexual assault claims, repeated her clients' lies and knowingly published false statements on national television, including a claim that a police report corroborated allegations that Mr. Combs raped a woman in March 2018; in truth, no such report exists, and the actual report filed by her client alleged rape by two white men, not Mr. Combs, with police deeming those allegations unsubstantiated. NewsNation is accused of amplifying the allegations despite knowing or recklessly disregarding their falsity. In November 2024, Burgess testified in front of a grand jury regarding Combs' criminal trial. In interviews, he claimed he was contacted by agents from the Department of Homeland Security to appear in court. He shared that he did not 'personally' know Combs, but claimed affiliation through professional connections. Burgess alleged himself to have the authentic, unedited version of the diary allegedly written by the late Kim Porter, as well as video evidence. Combs' legal team filed a motion to have a gag order placed on witnesses in an effort to shield testimony from potential jurors. 'Burgess has never met Mr. Combs and has never had any relationship with anyone in Mr. Combs's family. Nevertheless, Burgess has claimed on multiple occasions that Kim Porter, the mother of four children with Mr. Combs, who died in 2018, provided him with a copy of her memoir and videos depicting Mr. Combs sexually assaulting inebriated celebrities and minors. Those close to Ms. Porter, including her children and her roommate for over twenty years, had never heard of Burgess before he made this utterly implausible and completely false claim,' detailed the complaint. 'NewsNation has likewise profited from repeating and amplifying Burgess's and Mitchell's lies, drawing viewers and promoting its programming based on wholly unsubstantiated lies that would have been revealed as false had NewsNation conducted even the most modest fact-checking and/or reasonably questioned its sources, who had a history of making things up.' The lawsuit was initially filed against Burgess in January 2025 for $50 million. Since then, Combs has endured an eight-week criminal trial. The jury found the Harlem native guilty on two federal counts of transporting women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution, and not guilty of all racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Combs has been ordered to remain behind bars until sentencing, despite being acquitted of the most serious charges. 'As for risk of flight or danger, Combs fails to meet his burden by clear and convincing evidence,' ruled Judge Arun Subramanian earlier this month. 'Increasing the amount of the bond or devising additional conditions doesn't change the calculus given the circumstances and heavy burden of proof that Combs bears.' More from Sean "Diddy" Combs' Family Lawyer Suggests Trump Support In Exchange For Pardon Sean "Diddy" Combs' Ex-Girlfriend Gina Huynh Says She Will "Always Have His Back" Sean "Diddy" Combs Wants Madison Square Garden Return, Attorney Says Solve the daily Crossword
