BOZEMAN – Five more lawsuits have been filed against NorthWestern Energy after a natural-gas explosion last year that killed one woman and destroyed half a city block.
State Farm Insurance filed the complaints on behalf of some of its clients who were affected by the March 5, 2009, blast. The plaintiffs include the owner of a cafe on Main Street, an attorney whose office was damaged, the owner of a Main Street apartment complex and two people whose homes were damaged in the explosion.
The latest lawsuits add to the more than a dozen already filed against NorthWestern, whose CEO has said evidence suggests “external forces” caused the natural gas line to crack and leak. The explosion killed 36-year-old Tara Reistad Bowman.