Dallas apartment explosion victim files $1 billion lawsuit against Atmos
A man who was badly injured in the gas explosion at a Dallas apartment building has filed a lawsuit against Atmos seeking more than $1 billion in damages. A new filing in Dallas County court alleges that the gas company's negligence caused the explosion that left three people dead and others injured, and families without homes.
Attorneys filed the lawsuit on behalf of Eric Peters, who was working from home in his second-floor apartment in The Clyde when the explosion happened on May 28. Peters regained consciousness among the rubble and surrounded by flames, the lawsuit says. He was able to escape but "suffered physical injuries and profound psychological and emotional damages," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that Atmos had responded to nine service calls in the area between January of 2025 and May of 2026, where crews identified old orange gas pipes made of material prone to leaks. Gas pipes of the same orange plastic were found at the site of a March gas explosion in Lake Dallas.
On five occasions in the two months leading up to the explosion, the lawsuit alleges that Atmos crews "failed to stop the leaks or replace any of the pipe. Rather, when the crew removed the old gas meter off the back of the building, they exposed the end of Atmos Energy's service line that runs under The Clyde from the street — thus revealing that it was the dangerous orange pipe. Then, with full knowledge that orange pipe was under The Clyde, the crew simply connected a new meter and left the orange pipe leaking."
Lawsuit: Atmos did not properly mark gas line before drilling
The explosion at the Clyde happened as a subcontractor was drilling for soil samples on the property.
According to the lawsuit, Atmos responded to an 811 request to mark its underground infrastructure two days before the explosion that included GPS coordinates of the planned drilling sites. Atmos did not mark the correct sites, the lawsuit alleges, and the drill struck the gas line about two feet below the concrete.
Plaintiff asks judge for order to preserve evidence
Monday's lawsuit also asks the judge to order Atmos to preserve evidence from the site of the explosion.
Atmos has done extensive repair work in the neighborhood around The Clyde since the explosion, and the plaintiff's attorneys say they want to make sure things like gas meters, valves and pipes are preserved ahead of a trial.
The filing says that attorneys for Atmos would not agree on a protocol to preserve the evidence, and asks the judge to impose one.
