Almost 18 months ago, an under construction pedestrian bridge on Florida International University’s (FIU) campus collapsed, killing 6 people and injuring another 8. While many investigations have closed, including OSHA’s scathing report, families of victims and survivors have been awaiting the results of civil lawsuits filed against the companies in charge of the projects.
According to the Miami Herald, almost all of the major players involved in the design and construction of the bridge have agreed to settle with the victims and their families, except for one.
Magnum Construction Management (MCM), formerly known as Munilla Construction Management, settled with the victims and their insurers for $42 million in April, according to the Herald. MCM has already filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.
Additional funds, on top of MCM’s contribution, will be added to the pool of money to be distributed to the victims after the settlements from the other companies are formalized, but the wait could be a lot longer than the plaintiffs hope, if one of the companies does not agree to the settlement.
The Herald has reported that the lone holdout is Louis Berger, a 3rd-party consultant hired to double check the designs and calculations. Because of MCMs bankruptcy proceedings, all companies involved in the suit have to agree to settle before the funds can be distributed. An attorney for one of the families worries that Berger refusing to cooperate could tie the money up for an additional year and a half, he told the Herald.
Without a pre-trial settlement, the case will have to go to court. In a trial, the official findings of OSHA and the ongoing NTSB investigation would likely play a major role in the court’s decision. The next hearing for all parties involved will be August 20.
Full story: All parties OK settlement of legal fight over FIU bridge tragedy — with one holdout | Miami Herald
