Injured W.Va Workers File $60M Suit

Four people died and five were seriously injured Jan. 30 when a propane tank exploded and leveled the Flat Top Little General Store in Ghent.

In the lawsuit filed July 25 in Raleigh County Circuit Court, Beckley attorney Benny Jones claims the store and Godfather's Pizza, which had a restaurant inside the store, were negligent for not providing a safe workplace and for not properly maintaining the propane tank. The lawsuit also alleges they violated the law by storing propane in a tank next to the store.

The lawsuit also accuses several propane suppliers of being careless when transferring propane from one tank to another and failing to adequately train their employees.

The lawsuit blames all six defendants for failing to order the immediate evacuation of the building once they knew propane had escaped into the air.

Jones filed the lawsuit on behalf of Little General employee Patricia Mullins, Godfather's Pizza employee Leta Farley, and the co-administrators of the estate of paramedic Craig L. Dorsey II.

The two women each suffered serious permanent injures to their heads, arms and legs and incurred more than $300,000 in medical bills, plus lost wages, according to the lawsuit.

Named as defendants are Appalachian Heating LLC, ThompsonGas Propane Partners LLC, Ferrellgas Inc., BP America Inc., Little General Store Inc. and Godfather's Pizza Inc. The lawsuit also lists unnamed landowners and unnamed distributors and manufacturers of propane and propane equipment used at the store.

Calls to the six companies Wednesday were not immediately returned. As of Wednesday, no formal responses to the lawsuit had been filed, a circuit court clerk said.