Maine § 14 §165 Liability of those who store or distribute natural gas

Maine Statutes

§ 14 §165 — Liability of those who store or distribute natural gas

Maine § 14 §165

Title 14COURT PROCEDURE -- CIVIL

Part 1GENERAL PROVISIONS

Ch. 7DEFENSES GENERALLY

This text of Maine § 14 §165 (Liability of those who store or distribute natural gas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Maine primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 14 §165 (2026).

Text

1.Liability without proof of negligence. A natural gas company or an intrastate or interstate natural gas pipeline company that stores, transports or distributes natural gas is liable for all acts and omissions of its servants and agents that cause death or injury to persons or damage to property resulting from explosions or fire caused by natural gas escaping from the natural gas storage, transportation or distribution system under its control or from explosions or fire caused by defects in the natural gas storage, transportation and distribution systems under its control.

2.Rebuttable presumption. When there is death or injury to persons or damage to property resulting from explosions or fire caused by escaping natural gas, there is a rebuttable presumption that the gas escaped because

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1.
Liability without proof of negligence.
A natural gas company or an intrastate or interstate natural gas pipeline company that stores, transports or distributes natural gas is liable for all acts and omissions of its servants and agents that cause death or injury to persons or damage to property resulting from explosions or fire caused by natural gas escaping from the natural gas storage, transportation or distribution system under its control or from explosions or fire caused by defects in the natural gas storage, transportation and distribution systems under its control.
2.
Rebuttable presumption.
When there is death or injury to persons or damage to property resulting from explosions or fire caused by escaping natural gas, there is a rebuttable presumption that the gas escaped because of a defect in a portion of the storage, transportation or distribution system under the company's control.
3.
Exceptions.
The company is not liable for death or injury to persons or damage to property caused by:
4.
Indemnity.
In the event that the company is exposed to liability under this section because of the negligence of a 3rd party, the 3rd party shall indemnify the company for the company's losses, including any damages awarded or negotiated through settlement to any party, and costs and attorney's fees.