A federal jury awarded a Magna man more than $6 million after his 2-year-old daughter died in a fire caused by a faulty gasoline container.

Blitz U.S.A. Inc., an Oklahoma corporation, was ordered to pay $6,167,943 in damages after a gasoline container that it made exploded in 2005 and caused a fire that burned the toddler to death, U.S. District Court documents state.

	Join the Discussion
	Post a Comment

On Dec. 28, 2005, the Magna man took his three children on a camping trip in a trailer near Randalett, in Uintah County, court documents state. The man tried to start a fire in a wood-burning stove and the gasoline container exploded.

The explosion set the man on fire, as well as the 2-year-old. He smothered the fire on her body and then ran outside to extinguish himself.

After the man extinguished himself, he ran back to the trailer and found it engulfed in flames. His daughter was unable to get out and died, court documents state.

The man and one of his other children were injured. They suffered physical disabilities, scarring and emotional distress, court documents state.

The man and two other women listed on the suit sued Blitz in 2007, citing liability, negligence, misrepresentation, breach of warranty and gross negligence.

The jury awarded the man economic and noneconomic damages, but not punitive damages. The jury faulted Blitz for 70 percent of the accident and the man with 30 percent, court documents state.

Jason Bergreen