Food Truck Explosion in North Philly Leads to $160 Million Settlement

A $160 million settlement has been reached after a food truck explosion killed two people and injured several others in North Philadelphia. It’s said to be the largest pre-trial personal injury settlement in Pennsylvania. Rental company U-Haul will pay the record sum.

The explosion took place in July 2014. The civil suits filed claim that a U-Haul location filled the food truck’s damaged propane tank, which was almost 70 years old, failing to properly inspect it.

Olga Galdamez, the owner of the truck, and her teenage daughter were killed when the propane tank exploded. Three other people were severely burned and others were injured.

A spokesman for U-Haul says the company did not fill the tanks.

The estates of the mother and daughter will receive $36.5 million. Another unnamed plaintiff will get more than $69 million. A fourth will get $54 million. Other plaintiffs have already received settlements, but those details have not been disclosed.

The case was set to go to trial next month.

• Case Over Fatal Phila. Food Truck Explosion Resolved in $160M Pretrial Accord [Legal Intelligencer]
• Record $160M settlement in 2014 fatal Philadelphia food truck explosion [Philadelphia Business Journal]
• Victims of Food Truck Blast, U-Haul Reach $160M Settlement [NY Times]