Center v. Linkous

CULLEN, Commissioner.

Five teen-age boys suffered severe burns in an explosion of liquefied petroleum gas which escaped from a large storage tank owned by one Rex Center. The boys recovered judgments against Center, upon jury verdicts, in the amounts of $50,000, $12,500, $4,000, $4,000, and $2,500, respectively. Center has appealed, asserting as his only ground of error the failure of the court to sustain his motions for directed verdict. He contends there was insufficient evidence of negligence.

Center maintained a 1,000 gallon storage tank for liquefied petroleum gas near his general store in…