Jun 20, 2009 10:20 am US/Eastern
Neighbors Sue Dead Man In Scituate House Explosion
SCITUATE (WBZ) ―
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Neighbors look on after Kupris' house exploded, causing serious damage to several homes in the neighborhood.
Brian P. Nanos/wickedlocalscituate.com
A group of neighbors in Scituate is suing the estate of a man who died in a
devastating home explosion last December, saying it's a legitimate demand for accountability. The blast rocked the entire neighborhood, which still bears the scars today.
"The whole neighborhood looks like a war zone and nothing is getting done," said Joe Cochran, one of six plaintiffs in the suit.
The gas explosion next door claimed the life of 45-year-old David Kupris, who was found amid the rubble that night.
In a startling conclusion two months ago, investigators say he
committed suicide by tampering with a gasoline line. It's a theory his family doesn't accept.
"He's not a harmful person, not a violent person in any way," his brother John Kupris tells WBZ-TV. "He's not a guy that would go out in some fashion like this."
But it's formed the basis of a lawsuit filed by the neighbors holding David Kupris responsible for "negligent conduct," which caused the families to suffer "severe and extensive damages, including physical and emotional injuries, as well as property damage."
Another plaintiff, Gary McKinnon says, "The actions that night continue to hurt my family."
His house just directly behind the explosion was heavily damaged and is only now being rebuilt.
He says the suit is a search for answers.
"Since we can't address the gentleman directly in court about criminal charges, then we have to do what we need to do."
The Kupris family says the father of three shouldn't be remembered this way.
They believe it was a horrible accident, despite the official conclusion.
"I don't know that we'll ever have definitive answers, this is always going to be conjecture," said John Kupris.
Also named in the suit is Bay State Gas Company, which the plaintiffs claim was slow in responding to their calls that day for a strong odor of gas in neighborhood.
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