Window World responds in wrongful death lawsuit
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Window World has filed a response in a wrongful death lawsuit following a home explosion in Ellsworth Township that killed four people.
The lawsuit filed by administrators for the estates of the deceased alleged that workers putting siding on the home damaged propane gas lines but failed to recognize they had damaged those lines, leading to the explosion.
The lawsuit filed earlier this year against Window World alleged that Joann and Jeffrey Kocanyar, the owner of the home at 8521 Huxley Rd, hired Window World to replace the siding on their home and that workers affiliated with the company had been working at the house on Oct. 4, 2024, the day before the explosion. Several neighbors described hearing 'very loud,' 'banging,' and 'hammering' coming from the home before it was discovered that a water pipe in the basement had broken around 4 p.m., causing a leak in the basement, the lawsuit contends.
Window World's response was filed Tuesday in Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, denying those allegations and stating that the cause of the damages remains undetermined, and other individuals and/or companies could have contributed to the damages and injuries alleged.
The State Fire Marshal concluded its investigation into the explosion earlier this year. That investigation did not pinpoint an exact cause of the explosion but indicated that the probable cause was a propane leak.
The Fire Marshal's report did note that crews with Window World had been installing vinyl siding on the home and had begun preparation work the day before the explosion. They received a report that one of the workers had broken a water pipe in the basement and that the Kocanyars were getting materials to repair the pipe.
The explosion occurred around 7:20 a.m. the next day, and investigators had trouble pinpointing the source of the explosion due to the extensive damage to the home and lack of burn patterns. Investigators did find a propane tank behind the garage with lines leading to the basement and to a gas fireplace on the south side of the home.
Window World's response acknowledges that Window World contracted with various individuals for certain work, including subcontracting services for which it had no active participation. Window World is denying liability as it 'had no active participation in the work performed' and 'did not directly control the work to be performed.'
The response also states, 'the injuries and damages alleged by Plaintiffs were caused by intervening and/or superseding actions, for which this answering Defendant has no legal liability.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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