PITTSBURGH - An Allegheny County lawsuit says a passenger in a car burned alive when it collided with a propane truck whose fuel line severed.
Luann Quick, both individually and as the administratrix of the estate of Shannon Quick, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Dec. 29 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. The defendants named in the case include Matheson Tri-Gas Inc., Brian Lyons, Estate of George Quick (deceased), John Does 1-2, Navistar Inc., Navistar International Corporation, John Does 3-4, Petroleum Tank Corporation, John Does 5-6, Metzler Bros. Tank Truck & Trailer Inc., Westmor Industries LLC, and Ryder Truck Rental Inc.
The incident took place in January 2022. Shannon Quick was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by George Quick on Frenchville Karthaus Highway.
The suit says one of Matheson's propane delivery trucks was illegally stopped in the road, and George Quick rear-ended it. The suit says its fuel line was in the back of the truck, which should have made what happened foreseeable to the defendants.
"Prior to the accident, Defendants Lyons, Matheson, and/or John Does 1-2 failed to fully purge the truck’s propane distribution system and failed to ensure that the internal propane valve was turned off so that there was no propane running through the piping at the rear of the truck," the suit says.
"As a direct result of these failures, the propane truck leaked fuel, which sparked a fire. The inferno consumed Shannon Quick. Despite attempts to extinguish the flames, Shannon Quick horrifically burned to death, trapped in the vehicle.
"Shannon Quick was incinerated as confirmed by the coroner’s report..."
The plaintiff is represented by Thomas D. Berret from Hal K. Waldman & Associates and Robert J. Mongeluzzi and Aidan B. Carickhoff from Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky P.C.