YELLOW CREEK TWP., Ohio - A lawsuit has been filed in connection with a home explosion that left three people injured in Columbiana County.

The suit was filed Friday, August 8 in the Columbiana County Common Pleas Court in connection with the explosion at a home on the 500 block of Wells Falls Road in Yellow Creek Township in August of 2023.

The suit names gas company Eichler LP Gas, Inc., as well as Eichler LP Gas owner Gary Eichler and employee Galen Brandt as defendants.

According to the suit, the occupants called Eichler on August 13, 2023 after they found that there was no hot water in their home and the propane tank was empty.

The suit goes on to allege that the defendants filled the tank with propane without noticing that the reason the propane had run out was because of a leak in the external distribution system.

The suit further alleges that filling the tank had introduced propane into the home's piping, which began leaking into the home.

"Had the proper inspection, diagnosis and testing been followed, the significant leak in the system would have been identified," the suit reads.

Hours after the homeowners returned home, the explosion happened and the house "erupted in fire," causing a juvenile to be thrown from the home and injuring the two others in the home, with one occupant being trapped in the basement, according to the suit. 

According to the suit, the cause of that explosion was determined to be propane that had leaked from the yard supply line and into the home, where it ignited.

The explosion caused serious injuries to all three parties including broken bones, severe burns and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the suit. The suit further states that the home, its contents and the family's vehicles were also destroyed as a result of the explosion.

The family and insurance company Erie Insurance are accusing Eichler LP Gas, Inc. of negligence and are demanding damages in excess of $25,000.

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