KXLF

Posted: Apr 12, 2010 4:35 PM
Updated: Apr 13, 2010 10:56 AM

The number of lawsuits against NorthWestern Energy for last year's downtown explosion continues to grow with five new complaints filed by State Farm Insurance on behalf of its clients.

The plaintiffs include the owner of the Home Page Café on Main Street, an attorney whose office was damaged, the owner of an apartment complex on Main Street and two people whose residences were damaged in the blast.

Bruce Muller who owns the Home Page Café on Main Street is suing NorthWestern Energy for $23,780.61 for damage to the property.

An attorney whose office was at 11 East Main Street is asking $3,616 for property damage in the explosion.

One tenant who lived in an apartment in the 200 block of East Main Street is suing the utility company for $13,492.83 for property damaged in the explosion. Another tenant who lived in the 200 block of East Mendenhall is asking for $15,542.83 for property damage.

These lawsuits add to the more than a dozen already filed against NorthWestern Energy. So far, several businesses impacted by the blast, the family of Tara Bowman who was killed in the blast and an insurance company have filed lawsuits against NorthWestern Energy. Recently, an artist whose paintings were on consignment at the Montana Trails Gallery when it was destroyed in the explosion sued the utility company as well.

The area near the gallery was the epicenter of the blast, which was traced to a natural gas service line behind the gallery. Bowman, the gallery's manager, was killed in the explosion.

While many claim NorthWestern Energy is to blame for the March 5, 2009 explosion, the utility company has said it is not responsible. After the blast, NorthWestern CEO Bob Rowe said the company's evidence suggests that "external forces" caused the natural gas line behind Montana Trails Art Gallery to crack, which led to a significant gas leak and then the explosion.

The lawsuits against the utility company are not expected to go to trial until 2011.