SEATTLE (Washington Insider Magazine) – A jury granted over $100 million to a few of the victims of a construction crane fall in Seattle in 2019, which killed 4 people.
Workers were dismantling the 300-foot crane when it collapsed from the top of a Google skyscraper undergoing construction in the South Lake Union district due to heavy wind gusts.
Two ironworkers were killed in the accident. Alan Justad, a 71-year-old retired municipal worker, and Sarah Pantip Wong, a 19-year-old Seattle Pacific University student, were killed when the crane smashed cars below. The lawsuits brought by the family members of Justad and Wong, as well as 3 others who were harmed or whose vehicles were hit by the crane or wreckage — which include Wong’s friend Brittany Cadelena, who was next to her in an Uber on her way to a shopping center, and the Uber’s driver, Ali Edriss — were heard by the jury on Monday.
According to ABC NEWS, the families of the two welders who died tragically, Andrew Yoder, 31, and Travis Corbet, 33, have launched separate lawsuits.
Investigators discovered that some of the firms involved had scrimped by neglecting to read the crane’s dismantling instructions and removing huge pins fastening segments of the crane’s mast beforehand, a method that was standard industry practice to save time.
Northwest Tower Crane Service, Morrow Equipment Co., and Omega Morgan, according to the verdict, caused $150 million in damages. However, Morrow, who was given 25% of the responsibility by the jury, was not present during the trial and will not be held liable as a consequence of the judgment; counsel for the victims indicated further lawsuits against the corporation are being pursued.
Omega Morgan, which provided the big mobile crane used to dismantle the tower crane, and Northwest Tower Crane, which provided the crew of ironworkers, were judged liable for 75% of the losses. Messages sent after office hours on Monday were not immediately returned.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers praised Morrow and Northwest Tower Crane for admitting some culpability and modifying standards in the aftermath of the accident. Omega Morgan has maintained its innocence, forcing the lawsuit to go to court instead of settlement, they claim.
According to the ruling, Justad is entitled to $39 million, while Wong’s family is awarded $54 million. Cadelena and Edriss will get $9 million apiece.
