There have been Steam Pipe Explosions in Manhattan’s Flatiron District in the area of 21st Street and Fifth Avenue as well as blasts in 1989 and 2007.

On August 19, 1989, there was a steam pipe explosion in Gramercy Park. A twenty-four-inch Con Edison steam pipe exploded, killing three people - two of whom were Con Edison employees - and injuring twenty-four. Many buildings in the area had to be evacuated and there was substantial property loss by both the tenants in those buildings and businesses in the area.

There was another steam pipe explosion on July 18, 2007 near Grand Central Terminal, killing one person and injuring numerous people.

The personal injury law firm of Jaroslawicz & Jaros PLLC was lead counsel to the building owner and approximately thirty tenants damaged by the 1989 explosion, and to several individuals in the 2007 explosion.

Criminal charges were brought against Con Edison in the United States District Court in Manhattan for concealing from the federal authorities that asbestos had been released into the air when the steam pipe exploded in 1989. During trial, Con Edison finally pleaded guilty.

In the 1989 explosion, many of the residents in the Gramercy Park area were displaced from their homes from August until at least Thanksgiving, and some until months later. While the matter was in the media and being watched over by the media, Con Edison provided an allowance to displaced persons for a hotel room or to rent a reasonable apartment, as well as emergency personal expenses for food, clothing, toiletries, etc., without the need for a lawsuit.

If you or a loved one were injured by Steam Pipe Explosion and are in need of legal assistance call the lawyers at Jaroslawicz & Jaros. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. Please call to ensure that you do not waive your right to compensation.