Bridge Collapse Lawyers

A major bridge in Baltimore, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, collapsed after being hit by a freighter on March 26, 2024, sending people into the water as a large section of the bridge crashed into the Patapsco River.

Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said emergency personnel removed two people from the water—one was in very serious condition and the other was uninjured. He also mentioned that up to 20 people could have fallen into the water. 

The Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a “mass casualty incident.”

As of 2016, there were 614,387 bridges in the United States, almost 4 in 10 of which were 50 years or older, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) bridge report. The same report determined that 56,007 of those bridges were structurally deficient and that 188 million trips were taken daily over them.

While that sounds scary, it must be noted that the term “structurally deficient” sounds more dangerous than its actual definition. The ASCE report defines structurally deficient as “bridges that require significant maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement. Structurally deficient bridges are not unsafe but could become so and need to be closed without substantial improvements.”

Infographic: Thousands Of American Bridges Are Falling Apart | Statista

Therefore, commuters should not fear that the bridge they cross every day is in imminent danger of collapsing. Those responsible must be proactive about inspecting and repairing bridges, however, to ensure there isn’t a preventable tragedy.

When a bridge over water collapses, motorists and pedestrians are in danger of falling into the water, as in the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota in 2007. When the bridge goes over roads and highways, the motorists and pedestrians on the bridge are in danger as are those below.

That’s what happened at FIU.

Thankfully, though, the bridge was not open to the public, otherwise FIU students and other Miami residents could have been killed or injured in the collapse. Those below the structure were not as lucky. Even though it was not open to the public, the street below wasn’t closed, and motorists and pedestrians were killed and injured when the pedestrian bridge collapsed.

Aside from unsuspecting motorists and pedestrians, construction workers can also be injured in a collapse if it occurs during construction. While hard hats can lessen the trauma caused by falling debris, they are no defense against large pieces of steel and concrete.

Severe brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe lacerations, and bone fractures are just some of the injuries a construction worker, pedestrian, or motorist can sustain in a bridge collapse.

Bridges are maintained by each state’s Department of Transportation unless it’s owned by federal agencies or private entities. Still, the responsibility for a bridge’s failure will likely fall on a number of organizations, including the designer and builder in some cases.

Parties that can be held liable include the state, the bridge designer, contractor, or subcontractor, or maintenance and inspection companies. Determining whether the bridge was originally designed and constructed properly is critical in determining which parties can be held liable.

The statute of limitations will likely protect the bridge designer and builders if the bridge collapses many years after it’s constructed. In cases like what happened at FIU in Miami, more parties may be held accountable because the bridge was recently constructed and not even open to the public at the time it fell.

If a construction worker is injured in a bridge collapse, they can file a workers’ compensation claim with their employer and collect money for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, among other damages. They may also be able to file a third party lawsuit if a lawyer can determine that a party other than the construction worker’s employer contributed to the accident.

In the most severe accidents, in which construction workers are killed, their loved ones could file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties. Even though a lawsuit will not bring back a family member, it can provide them with compensation for expenses related to their loved one’s death and ease the financial strain it may create.

At Morgan & Morgan, our attorneys have experience handling bridge collapse accident cases. This experience allows us to help those who reach out to us without delay. A prime example of this was in the tragic incident at FIU, in which we were the first to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties.

Ultimately, the faster we begin the legal process, the faster you can receive the compensation you may need and certainly deserve. To learn more about how our bridge collapse lawyers may be able to help you after an accident, contact us today for a free, no-obligation case review.