Minneapolis Personal Injury Lawyer - Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

35W Bridge Collapse Victims May Be Limited in Aid

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:37:01 GMT

The 35W Bridge collapsed in Minneapolis last August and left 150 victims. 13 of those people died. Many families were left with large medical bills and the loss of income from the victims. State legislators have been busy working on a victims' compensation fund. The proposed plan my fall far short of what victims need though.

The Senate bill would limit payments to $400,000 per victim, which could leave the most severely injured with much less than they've lost. That's the state's liability limit for individuals as of Jan. 1, and Latz's bill would make it retroactive to Aug. 1, the day the bridge fell.
It wouldn't be fair to give bridge collapse victims more than other victims could get, said Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park. Bridge victims, too, might stand to recover money from private companies involved in maintaining and inspecting the structure, he added.

The House and Senate bills may need to be worked out in a committee to make them similar. The House bill calls for a $30 to $60 million fund that would not cap individuals at $400,000. The governor of Minnesota is for now backing the Senate plan.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

35W Bridge Victims Fight $1 Million State Cap

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:59:50 GMT

When the 35W Bridge fell into the Mississippi River on August 1st many lives were changed forever. Around 100 people were injured and 13 people were killed during the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Now they are fighting a state cap on liability that limits damages to $300,000 per person and $1 Million overall for the tragedy. The House State Government Finance Committee will be hearing testimony from victims this week.

The committee is exploring whether to establish a 9/11-style disaster fund. In an e-mail, a representative of Gov. Tim Pawlenty signaled that the governor may support such a fund.
"At the governor's direction, our office is currently talking to legislators about addressing the needs of victims, including a possible special victims' fund, which may be appropriate in this case," spokesman Brian McClung wrote. "We feel it's important to have a bipartisan consensus in this regard and the governor believes the state should help survivors of the bridge collapse."

Others in the government are looking to remove the cap in order to help victims and their families pay medical bills and recover lost wages. Many of the victim's bills far exceed the state liability cap.

If you would like to read more about the 35W Bridge Collapse, please visit InjuryBoard's Minneapolis Bridge Collapse information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Inspections Taking Place on Lafayette Bridge

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 19:49:03 GMT

Inspectors from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) are currently examining the Lafayette Bridge into St. Paul. Reports and previous inspections had placed its safety rating as lower than the 35W Bridge. The 35W Bridge collapsed in Minneapolis at the beginning of August killing 13 people. MnDOT plans to survey the majority of bridges in Minnesota.

So far, MnDOT has completed about 87 of approximately 250 planned in-depth inspections. At least 103 of 127 bridges deemed structurally deficient have also been inspected.
MnDOT hopes to finish field inspections by Dec. 1.

The current plan is to replace the Lafayette Bridge in 2011. Inspectors hope to have their work completed by September 12th.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to our section on the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Final Victim of 35W Bridge Collapse Found

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:38:50 GMT

The death toll in the 35W Bridge collapse now stands at 13 as the final victim was pulled from the Mississippi River on Monday. Search crews and the family expressed relief that he had been found. The victim was a member of the construction crew that had been doing concrete work on the bridge at the time of the collapse.

After Stanek thanked authorities for completing the recovery of the victims, the next question - what now? - was partially answered. Primary authority for the bridge site now rests with the Minnesota Department of Transportation in its now-unimpeded efforts to clear the rest of the debris from the river.
"We'll be working hard to get the channel open," said Terry Zolles, a MnDOT construction engineer. As for a time frame: "It's twisted steel, so it's hard to predict."

The Navy divers responsible for the victim recovery work are now packing to leave the area. The Governor of Minnesota asked President Bush to declare the area a major disaster in order to receive more federal aid money. The President complied and declared a state of emergency.

The 35W Bridge in Minneapolis collasped on August 1st. It is unknown what caused the bridge collapse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Twelfth Victim Pulled from Minneapolis Bridge Wreckage

Shannon Weidemann — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 21:08:10 GMT

The twelfth victim of the 35W Bridge collapse was found on Sunday and identified today. There is only one more person on the official missing person's list. Navy divers work in the Mississippi River when there is no salvage work going on. They have to wait for debris to be cleared in order to search the area.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of the bridge collapse.

According to the internal state Department of Transportation documents, officials were ready Dec. 6 to go ahead with a plan to install steel plates at several areas on the bridge as a patchwork fix amid reports that it was structurally deficient, as recommended by an outside consulting firm. The project was shelved after the state determined the process could actually weaken the bridge.

The DOT was using inspections to keep an eye on the bridge for and dangerous cracks in the beams. The inspections were halted while the concrete decking was repaired on the bridge. There was construction work being done on the Minneapolis bridge when it collapsed on August 1st.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Two More Victims Discovered at Minneapolis Bridge

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:53:35 GMT

Navy divers recovered the remains of two more victims of the August 1 35W Bridge collapse. They were found when their cars were retrieved from the bottom of the Mississippi River last yesterday and early this morning. The remains were not identified but are believed to be two of the four people on the official missing list.

The vehicles recovered Wednesday and Thursday were found on the Mississippi River bottom and brought to shore, the release said.
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office was working to identify the remains and notify the appropriate families.

Conditions in the river have improved so that Navy divers are able to work in the water 24 hours a day. The cause of the bridge collapse has not been discovered yet.

For more information on this subject matter, please review our section on the Minneapolis Bridge Collapse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

School Bus Company Honors 35W Bridge Heroes

Shannon Weidemann — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:39:59 GMT

When the 35W Bridge collapsed on August 1st a school bus was one of the vehicles on the bridge. It was carrying 52 children and several adults. Some were injured but all of them made it off the bridge alive. The successful rescue effort was credited to three people. Today those people were honored by the school bus company.

"Kim Dahl, our bus driver still had her hands on the wheel," company vice president Jeff Pearson said. "Her foot on the brake and with extensive injuries lifted her left leg to apply the parking break so that bus didn't move another inch."
Jeremy Hernandez, a volunteer with the youth on the bus, did his part too.
He pried open the bus' back door and carried kids out one by one - handing them to a stranger who was driving his truck near the bus at the time of the collapse. That stranger was Gary Babineau and he did his part.

The company awarded them each $5,000 and the thanks from many for their heroic efforts. They certainly kept a tragic situation from being much worse.

Here is more information on the 35W Bridge collapse.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Preliminary Plan Released to Replace 35W Bridge

Shannon Weidemann — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 22:01:03 GMT

The Minnesota Department of Transportation presented a preliminary plan to the Minneapolis City Council for a bridge to replace the 35W Bridge over the Mississippi River. The 35W Bridge collapsed on August 1st, killing at least 9 people and injuring over 100 others.

State authorities need support from the Council to have the new bridge built by December 2008 and ease traffic congestion.
But at the introduction of the proposed design before the Council, some members complained that it lacked features to make the bridge more like a memorial.
"I think the public is asking for a distinctive bridge," Councilwoman Diane Hofstede said. "This is a bridge that got international attention and was the scene of a terrible tragedy."

Conditions in the river were too dangerous for divers so work on removing debris was accomplished. Salvage work does not happen when there are divers in the water because it is too dangerous for the divers.

For more information on the tragedy, please visit our Minneapolis Bridge Collapse article.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

School Bus and Other Vehicles Removed From Bridge

Shannon Weidemann — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 22:50:28 GMT

Clean up efforts at the scene of the 35W Bridge collapse included removal of the school bus that was on the bridge. The school bus was carrying 52 children when it collapsed on August 1st. Everyone on the bus survived the accident.

In all, 44 vehicles have been removed from the bridge since its collapse. About 100 vehicles had been on the structure when it fell Aug. 1, said Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Gutknecht.
So far, crews have cleared cars from parts of the bridge that fell onto land. Equipment is positioned to start major debris removal once the recovery efforts are finished.

Divers also pulled the ninth victim from the wreckage today. Four people are still on the missing list. Eight people that were injured in the bridge collapse still remain in the hospital.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Wrongful Death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Rain Delays Recovery Efforts at 35W Bridge

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 13:35:42 GMT

The Mississippi River rose 1 to 2 feet overnight due to rain and there is a dangerous current. Navy divers have halted their search and recovery mission until conditions are safer. The official death toll is eight from the 35W Bridge collapse that happened in Minneapolis on August 1st.

"Dive team members assigned to the Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit will continue to assess the situation and manage as best as possible," the news release said.
They'll have to "just wait 'til nature is done, and they'll continue to assess," Navy spokesman Randy Mitchell said.

Five people are still missing and are believed to be dead. The youngest victim of the bridge collapse, a 22-month-old, was laid to rest today along with her mother.

A cause for the collapse has not been discovered but investigators are working hard to discover one. An agressive timetable has been set up in order to build a new bridge by the end of 2008.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Wrongful Death.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann