SAN ANTONIO – Wayside Chapel youth pastor Timothy Nowell, his wife Kimberly, along with their minor daughter Ali, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the City of San Antonio, acting through CPS Energy, over a house explosion they say was caused by a leaking natural gas system that left the family with catastrophic injuries.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit stems from an April 21 explosion at the family\u2019s home on Preston Hollow Drive on the Northeast Side. The petition alleges that \u201cnatural gas leaking from CPS Energy\u2019s gas distribution pipeline migrated into their home where it ignited and exploded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThough (The Nowells) survived, the explosion and resulting fire left them catastrophically injured,\u201d the filing states, adding that they face \u201ca long and painful road to recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
A family friend gave an update Friday morning on the conditions of the Nowell Family. <\/p>\n
“Tim is continuing to recover after undergoing additional skin grafts and participating in physical therapy, including tilt table therapy to aid his healing. Doctors say he is making strong progress and describe his recovery trajectory as positive. Kim has begun to wake up and respond, and is also showing improvement in her breathing, with continued progress expected. Ali continues to make steady progress and is eating and improving, with hopes she could be discharged from the hospital next week.”<\/p>\n
The family is asking for continued prayers.<\/p>\n
Allegations of Systemic Negligence<\/p>\n
The lawsuit argues the explosion was not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of infrastructure problems and describes the incident as \u201centirely preventable.\u201d<\/p>\n
RELATED: Two residents sue CPS Energy for ‘gross negligence’ after Northeast Side gas explosions<\/a><\/p>\n According to the filing, CPS Energy had long been aware of risks within its system, stating the utility \u201chas long been on notice that failures within its gas distribution network create an extreme risk of catastrophic explosions and the attendant danger to the public it serves.\u201d<\/p>\n The petition alleges that despite this knowledge, CPS Energy \u201cfailed to take adequate steps to identify, repair, replace, or retire dangerous components of its system,\u201d and \u201cfailed to safeguard the residents of Bexar County.\u201d<\/p>\n It further claims the utility used a \u201creactive, wait-and-see approach,\u201d addressing leaks only after they surfaced and failing to warn nearby residents of imminent danger.<\/p>\n Second Explosion on Same Day<\/p>\n The lawsuit also highlights what it describes as a second explosion in close proximity on the same day, a home where Mayte Terrie Reeves and Jose Ochoa were living. <\/p>\n