For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Slack Davis Sanger: Clare Chachere; 512.225.5328; cchachere@slackdavis.com;
FVF Law: Caitlyn Macaluso; 512.956.4789; caitlyn@fvlawfirm.com

PERSONAL INJURY LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST TEXAS GAS SERVICE

-- Lawsuit alleges failure to maintain below ground pipes resulted in a home explosion --

September 3, 2019, AUSTIN, TX – Slack Davis Sanger and FVF Law filed a personal injury and
wrongful death lawsuit today on behalf of David Passman and the family of Nicole Burton, victims of a
home explosion caused by a natural gas leak. The lawsuit names as defendants Texas Gas Service
(TGS) and ONE Gas and alleges that these entities failed to maintain the 42-year old pipe that caused
the explosion that seriously injured Passman and fatally injured Burton.

At approximately 1:30 PM, on October 27, 2018, Passman and Burton were inside their home on
Bendridge Trail in Austin, Texas when the home exploded. Portions of the roof ended up 89 feet away,
the rear wall was blown back approximately 30 feet and the remaining portions of the home were
reduced to rubble. Both Passman and Burton survived the explosion and were transported to the
hospital with severe burns. Burton succumbed to her injuries four days later. Passman had to be placed
in a medically induced coma and intubated while his lungs recovered. During his hospitalization, he
underwent over 10 separate debridement and skin grafting surgeries.

The lawsuit alleges the cause of the explosion was a poorly maintained 42-year old gas line near the
home. “Texas Gas Service’s system of buried pipes that blanket this South Austin neighborhood were
old, corroded and poorly constructed. TGS’s failure to properly fabricate, inspect and maintain this 42-
year old segment of pipes was the cause of this home explosion—it remains a threat to public safety for
all Travis County residents,” said Mike Davis, Co-Founder and Partner at Slack Davis Sanger, who
represents David Passman in the lawsuit. “Texas Gas Services’ distribution system is averaging over
six gas leaks per day, and TGS has no effective procedures in place for inspecting and replacing these
old pipes. As a result, the first notice of a problem or leak may be when someone’s home blows up, and
that is unacceptable. This lawsuit seeks to hold Texas Gas Service accountable for placing profit over
safety and causing the death of Nicole Burton and the life-changing injuries suffered by David
Passman.”

Josh Fogelman, co-founder of FVF law, which represents the family of Nicole Burton, added, “This
incident is a repeat of the 2012 TGS gas-leak explosion that killed another Travis County resident.
From 2016 to 2018, TGS’s system suffered 4,132 corrosion failure leaks and 5,926 equipment failure
leaks. We cannot continue to allow TGS to inadequately address the risks caused by its old and
corroded system of buried pipes. Through this lawsuit, we are demanding accountability and
transparency. The families of these victims deserve a complete investigation and straight answers.
TGS has so far been feeding misinformation to the Texas Railroad Commission instead of learning
from their mistakes. The citizens of Travis County deserve to know what TGS is doing to prevent this
kind of tragedy from happening again.”

The lawsuit claims Texas Gas Service is aware that its crumbling infrastructure creates a significant risk
to Travis County residents and that the organization is not doing enough to address the risks
associated with the distribution of dangerous natural gas through a system of old pipelines. The
Plaintiffs in this case hope that by filing this lawsuit the residents of Travis County will become aware of
the ticking time bomb lurking beneath their homes, and Texas Gas Service will be forced to address
these risks in the interest of protecting the very customers they serve.

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About Slack Davis Sanger LLP

Slack Davis Sanger LLP is a preeminent AV-rated, nationally recognized force in civil litigation.
Founded in 1993, the firm represents victims of catastrophic accidents arising from airplane and
helicopter crashes, truck and car accidents, oilfield and construction accidents, and other catastrophic
personal injury and death accidents. With offices in Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth, the firm litigates
cases throughout the country in both federal and state courts. Slack Davis Sanger has recovered
hundreds of millions of dollars for the clients it has represented and has significantly contributed to
industry safety improvements. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. www.slackdavis.com
About FVF Law

Founded in 2014, FVF Law is a personal injury law firm uniquely focused on client education and
satisfaction. With a commitment to transparent and zealous representation, FVF Law has helped
hundreds of people recover from life-changing injuries and catastrophic events. FVF Law believes
people whose lives have been unexpectedly disrupted should be treated with respect, and be given the
best opportunity possible to pick-up the pieces and move forward. FVF Law is based in Austin, Texas
and can be found on Facebook and on the web at www.fvflawfirm.com.