The Truth Was Under The Concrete
- July 21, 2026
- PetersenLegal
- Comments Off on The Truth Was Under The Concrete
Every catastrophic case begins with a story.
Sometimes that story comes from a police report. Sometimes it comes from an engineering report. Sometimes it comes from an expert witness.
But sometimes…
the truth is buried beneath the surface.
In a catastrophic residential gas explosion case, the defense retained a fire cause and origin expert who concluded the home explosion probably originated from an gas line inside a basement fireplace—a theory that shifted responsibility away from those Petersen & Petersen believed were actually responsible. The State of Ohio Fire Marshall had already concluded the cause of the explosion was a gas line left uncapped just behind where a delivery installer had removed a gas dryer and installed an electric one. The defense expert testified that he observed a natural gas pipe in the basement fireplace which had not been investigated as an ignition source by the State inspector.
Most lawyers would have moved on.
Attorney Todd Petersen didn’t.
He knew construction and while the destroyed home had been demolished, there was a good chance the foundation, outer walls and basement floor remained. Todd drove to the property himself. When he got there, he introduced himself to the contractor. He asked for permission to investigate and look in what remained of the basement — specifically the base of the fireplace.
Then came an unusual request. “Would you be willing to cut the concrete out? I need to see what we can’t see now.” The contractor grabbed a concrete saw. Todd shot video of the excavation. The contractor literally removed the bottom of the fireplace. Then he flipped it over.
There was no gas pipe.
The metal rods in the concrete were simply supports for the fireplace grate. The defense theory disappeared the moment the concrete was turned over.
Sometimes the most important evidence isn’t found in a file. Sometimes it is found because someone is willing to keep digging.
The case resolved for $17 million.
The first story is rarely the full story.
WE DIG DEEPER. 