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Mon 1st Mar | 2021

FIU Bridge Builder Alleges Design Issues Caused the Collapse

Personal Injury Road Design Error BY

It has been nearly three years since the collapse of the FIU Pedestrian Bridge. The tragic accident transformed the lives of the ten injured victims and the families of the six killed. The 320-foot-long pedestrian bridge crossed two major roadways and was intended to provide safe passage for pedestrians traveling to and from Florida International University.

Located in front of the Florida International University in University Park, the construction of the bridge began in March 2016. At the time of the collapse, United States Senator and FIU adjunct professor Marco Rubio tweeted that engineers were tightening loosened cables. “Workers were adding more tension to the steel rod (tendon) inside a concrete diagonal strut at the north end,” said Rubio.

According to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board, The Louis Berger Group peer review failed to detect the load and capacity calculation errors by FIGG Bridge Engineers. The calculation errors are directly related to the connection of the bridge deck and an assembly of elements that create a rigid structure.

The contractor and builder of the bridge, MCM Magnum Construction Management, filed a lawsuit seeking $15 million from The Louis Berger Group and WPS Global, the company responsible for viewing the bridge’s design before its construction. According to the documents filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, MCM wants to use $9.5 million of the settlement to make up for the business lost since the 2018 collapse.

Compensation for the Injured Victims and Surviving Family Members

In January 2020, NBC Miami reported that twenty plaintiffs were part of the negotiation in federal bankruptcy court that led to the $103 million settlement, funded by insurers for the defendants. According to court documents, the surviving victims suffered from a wide range of injuries including a traumatic brain injury. Which in most cases requires extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation.

What are the Most Common Types of Defective Roadway Design Cases?

Our firm has a history of successfully litigating cases involving roadway design, construction, and maintenance failures. Some of these cases include:

  • Improperly designed traffic control devices at busy intersections
  • Signage that fails to warn of curves or other dangers
  • Inadequate drainage design causing flooding, and in winter, icy roads
  • Negligent traffic light design
  • Improper or poorly designed lane markings (etc., for passing);
  • Speed limits that are too high for the topography and curvature of the road;
  • Blind” cross streets or driveways that are not marked;
  • Failure to provide for guardrails in areas where they should be present
  • Designing two-way instead of four-way stops at dangerous intersections.

Injury Attorneys Specializing in Road Design Errors

If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a defective roadway the attorneys at Clark Fountain are here to help. Our board-certified attorneys specialize in complex injury cases that require an in-depth investigation, access to industry experts, engineers, and medical specialists. Call 561-899-2100 for a free consultation today.