A house in Ohio exploded in October 2024, killing four people. Now, the families of those four people are suing Window World and its local franchise, Window World Pennohio, DBA Window World of Youngstown, for wrongful death. The executors of the estates allege that in the course of replacement work, actions of the Window World employees damaged the property of Jeffery and Joann Kocanyar, ultimately leading to the death of the couple, along with their daughter Julie Kocanyar Lubic and her husband, Adam Lubic.
According to the complaint, filed in the Mahoning County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas, the elder Kocanyars contracted with Window World in 2024, for siding replacement on their home in Berlin Center, Ohio. According to court documents, the work was carried out on October 4, 2024, the day after Julie and Adam Lubic arrived to visit with Julie’s parents.
During the work, neighbors “described hearing very loud ‘banging’ and ‘hammering’ coming from the Kocanyar House,” the complaint says, adding that at 4 p.m., “it was discovered that a water pipe in the basement of the Kocanyar home had broken, causing water to leak into the basement of [the] Kocanyar home.” The plaintiffs allege that Window World employees failed to recognize that the propane gas line into the Kocanyar house had also been damaged during the work.
Early in the morning on October 5, 2024, the Kocanyar home exploded, killing all four occupants and three dogs.
Executors of the estate, Nicolas D. Laudato for the estate of Jeffery and Joann Kocanyar; Jill Kocanyar on behalf of her sister, Julie Kocanyar Lubric; as well as Rory and Stuart Lubric, together, for Adam Lubric, their son and brother, respectively, are claiming four counts of wrongful death – negligence and four survival claims. Plaintiffs argue that “direct and proximate result of the negligence, carelessness, and recklessness of the Window World defendants,” caused the catastrophic explosion at the Kocanyar house and the “untimely deaths” of the four individuals. In the counts for wrongful death – negligence, the Plaintiffs argue that Window World Defendants “owed a duty to exercise reasonable care in the installation of exterior remodeling products, such as siding, on residential homes, including the Kocanyar home.”
Among the actions the complaint lists as negligent and careless are causing damage to the propane gas line and, in turn, causing propane gas to enter the Kocanyar home. Additional claims of negligence include failures to: exercise reasonable and proper care in the replacement and installation of siding on the Kocanyar home; identify and/or remedy the propane gas leak and/or damage to the propane gas line; and to warn of the damage to the propane gas line and/or gas leak at the Kocanyar home.
In their prayer for relief, the Plaintiffs are asking “for an amount in excess of $25,000, together with interest, costs, attorney’s fees, and other such relief ” as the Court determines, per count of wrongful death, and the same for each survival claim count. They’ve asked for a jury trial.
Check that figure, I don’t think the plaintiffs are asking for $25,000. Looks like a few zeroes might be missing there.
Thank you for reading and for your comment. Our editors had the same thought when compiling the information for this story. To clarify: No exact amount is listed in the current court filings, only that they’re asking for an amount in excess of $25,000. For this reason, that’s what we’re able to report (that they’re requesting an unspecified amount that’s at least more than $25,000).
This is horribly tragic.
The “Boss-man” culture at this particular office must be so bad, that everyone is scared to be blamed for anything.
So they covered up the truth, moved on, then four people died. Very sad.
Let this be a lesson to all shops. Don’t make it hard for workers to admit fault . Honesty is the best policy.
This is a perfect example of hiring a cheaper company to do a job and expecting quality work. Cheapest quotes typically lead to major problems expecially in home improvements. Also, as a franchisee im sure all the workers are 1099 as well. The comoany or owner of that franchise will be sued millions for 4 wrongful deaths.
I worked at window world at the time of this situation. The crew that did the work could barely speak any English they will use any subcontractors they can to get the work done. I feel horrible for that family they did not deserve this. That house should have taken multiple days to do the siding very big house they had it almost completed in 2 days if that says anything.