Blog Post

Minneapolis Bridge Collapse Lawsuits Being Filed


January 23, 2008
Topic: Dangerous Highways

Last summer's bridge collapse in Minneapolis impacted hundreds of lives. Those who were killed died in one the most unimaginably horrible ways possible. Those they left behind have grappled to come to terms with the enormity and the senselessness of what happened. Now, close to six months later, families of victims are preparing for their chance at justice. Relatives of kids killed when a school bus returning from a field trip collapsed as the bridge gave way, are just some among many who have filed the preliminary paperwork for legal action against the state. The law requires that preliminary forms be filled out within 180 days of the incident, but experts say it's not necessary in this case.

According to Delaware Online, as of Friday, at least 73 lawsuits have been filed by victims and their families. All the lawsuits involve very personal and scarring memories of the bridge collapse which stunned the country. Tina Hickman who was 8 months pregnant at the time of the collapse, slipped into a coma and had her baby boy delivered by C-section. Her medical bills alone for the month she was in coma were around $125,000. Add to that the pain and trauma of being pregnant and suffering in a bridge collapse that can only be blamed on state negligence, and the lawsuit figure hovers closer to $500,000.

The state of Minnesota is protected by a statute which limits its liability to $1 million per accident, but lawmakers are considering a compensation fund for those who give up the right to sue the state.

Most of the claims accuse the state of negligence. For the survivors, their legal proceedings are being hampered by the slow pace of investigations and their lack of access to any findings. The National Transportation Safety Board will present its report in the fall.

If you have been injured or a loved-one has been killed due to dangerous bridge or road conditions, you need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer in California. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.


The California personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group represent victims of accidents, injuries and wrongful death throughout California from our offices in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, Fresno County, Kern County, Sacramento County, San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Antelope Valley, Torrance, Glendale, Bakersfield, Santa Ana, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Ontario, and Victorville.