A Kansas man who says he was injured in an explosion last week at downtown Fort Worth鈥檚 Sandman Signature Hotel has sued the hotel, its owner Northland Properties, the hotel鈥檚 basement restaurant and its parent hospitality company.
The lawsuit, filed Jan. 11 in Dallas County, states David Seibolt of Johnson County, Kansas, was giving a presentation in a conference room on the second floor of the Sandman Signature Hotel when the explosion occurred. He had 鈥渟erious injuries to his head and body in general.鈥�
The suit also states the companies were warned of and 鈥渇ailed to reasonably warn, evacuate, or otherwise reasonably respond to the dangerous condition.鈥�
鈥淒efendant's negligent conduct was more than momentary thoughtlessness or inadvertence,鈥� the suit states. 鈥淩ather, Defendant's conduct involved an extreme degree of risk, considering the probability and magnitude of the potential harm to Plaintiffs."
Seibolt is seeking at least $1 million in damages. His attorneys Thomas J. Henry and Richard W. Hunnicutt III were not immediately available for comment. Northland Properties also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At least 21 people were injured in the Jan. 8 explosion. Fort Worth officials say they believe the explosion was connected to a but haven鈥檛 yet determined an official cause.
The explosion caused the concrete floor of the hotel鈥檚 first floor to collapse into the basement, , where the hotel鈥檚 Asian fusion restaurant Musume is located.
Musume is owned by hospitality group Rock Libations. Three of the restaurant's employees were and others have been reassigned to other jobs under Rock Libations.
Co-owner Josh Babb said in a statement restaurant management is continuing to learn more about what happened Jan. 8.
"We want more than anything to find out how the explosion occurred & how it could have been prevented," the statement reads. "Our employees are our #1 focus right now & we will do anything & everything in our power to support them."
There have now been at least four lawsuits filed in the aftermath of the Fort Worth explosion as of Wednesday afternoon. This includes one by an who said he smelled gas more than an hour before the explosion but was told by a manager to ignore it.
Other defendants include Sandman Management and Atmos Energy, which said in a Friday that the company鈥檚 investigation determined its natural gas system was not involved in the explosion.
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