Contractor Burned When School Staff Ignored Gas Warning Wins $1.25 Million Verdict
Won by Hovde Dassow + Deets.
A Morgan County jury awarded $1,250,075 to a plumbing contractor who suffered severe burns after a Carmel High School maintenance employee ignited a pool heater's pilot light over the contractor's explicit objection, triggering a gas explosion that blew the roof off the building.
What happened
On December 26, 2018, Michael Terry Jr. was performing plumbing work on a gas line at Carmel High School in Hamilton County, Indiana. While he worked, natural gas was present in the immediate area. A school maintenance employee approached to relight the pilot light on the swimming pool heater nearby.
Terry warned the employee not to proceed because of the gas in the area. The maintenance man replied that he knew what he was doing and did not need any input. He lit the pilot light anyway. The resulting explosion was severe enough to blow the roof off the building. Terry suffered serious burns to his hands, face, and ears, and remained hospitalized for eight days.
Terry filed suit in Morgan County Circuit Court against Carmel Clay School Corporation. The school contested liability, arguing the explosion was caused by Terry's own negligence. The defense was handled by Jenna C. Lower of Liberty Mutual Legal.
Nicholas C. Deets and Tyler Zipes of Hovde Dassow + Deets tried the case over three days in October 2025 before Judge Dakota R. Van Leeuwen. Plaintiff's counsel focused on the maintenance employee's direct disregard of a safety warning from the person closest to the hazard. The jury found the school corporation solely at fault and returned a verdict of $1,250,075.
Sources
This account is drawn from contemporaneous public reporting and the court record.