Jury Awards Man $1.3 Million for Burns at Barbecue

Finding that a propane valve used in back-yard barbecues across the country was improperly designed, Torrance Superior Court jurors this week awarded $1.3 million to a man who was severely burned in a Gardena propane explosion.

Leo Getz suffered third-degree burns over more than half of his body in June, 1989, when propane leaking from a friend’s barbecue ignited. Jurors ordered valve manufacturer Sherwood Inc. of Lockport, N.Y., to pay $1,343,000 to Getz; $40,000 to his wife, Joanne, and $67,000 to Getz’s friend, Argel Garcia, who also suffered burns in the explosion.

Sherwood officials, who argued at trial that the explosion was caused because Garcia had tampered with the valve, said they have not decided whether to appeal the verdict.

Getz’s attorney, Louis DeWitt, told jurors that the Sherwood valve is inherently dangerous because its bonnet can become loose and cause the valve to work backward, making users think they are shutting the valve when they are actually opening it.

“People should be aware of the danger of this valve,” DeWitt said. “It’s good to warn people, and until you get a verdict, no one listens to you.”