Ohio Couple Awarded $1.3M for Diesel Pumped into Basement

A jury has awarded than $1.3 million in damages to a couple whose southern Ohio farmhouse was made inhabitable when a fuel deliverer mistakenly pumped 600 gallons of diesel into their basement.

The Ross County jury awarded the money to Charles and Tammy Immell, who have a 200-acre farm near Chillicothe. The oil company, Petron Inc., hasn’t said if it will appeal.

The company had blamed the Immells for the Oct. 8, 2012, mishap. The couple ordered the fuel to be delivered to their farm tanks for their equipment. Instead, it was pumped into the basement via pipes that were once connected to a diesel-fueled furnace.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the health side effects lingered as the fumes spread up through the house and made it uninhabitable.