Sandpoint, ID- A judge is approving a settlement to resolve litigation resulting from a propane explosion which injured a Bonner County family in Samuels last year.
District Judge Steve Verby approved the $400,000 settlement agreement on Wednesday, according to court documents.
Jodi and Cody Likkel, along with Jodi’s 6-year-old son, were burned when propane at a rental home in the 500 block of Durkee Road ignited on Jan. 7, 2006. The force of the blast blew the three off the porch. Jodi Likkel’s son, Mason Greve, was thrown approximately 20 feet back and his jacket caught fire.
The three were treated for their injuries at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The family later filed a negligence suit against the homeowners, Kathleen and Gerald Ginter. The explosion happened when Kathleen Ginter, who was showing the family the rental, entered the home and shut off a water pump, court documents said.
The suspected cause of the blast was a propane leak in the water heater. It’s believed the fuel ignited when Ginter moved the electrical switches to cut power to a water pump, court records indicate.
Mediation in the case was ordered earlier this year and a nine-day jury trial was set for March 2008. The proposed settlement was reached this summer.
Proceeds from the settlement are being put toward medical expenses and attorney fees the Likkels incurred as a result of the mishap. Leftover funds are being put in an interest-bearing account belonging to Greve.