Family of man killed in NYC parking garage collapse sues building owners, says they "put profits over safety"
NEW YORK -- The family of Willis Moore, the man who was killed when a parking garage collapsed in Lower Manhattan on April 18, 2023, has filed a lawsuit against the building's owners, claiming they prioritized profits over people and ignored safety issues.
What caused the 2023 NYC parking garage collapse?
An outside firm hired by New York City is still investigating the cause of the collapse, but video from that day shows heavy SUVs on the roof and, according to Department of Buildings records, the garage had open violations dating back 20 years.
Attorneys for Moore's family point to those open violations as evidence of negligence in the lawsuit. They claim the owners ignored known issues, including cracks in the structure.
The garage collapsed on Moore. The lawsuit says he was trapped and ultimately died.
One of the attorneys on this case says this was entirely preventable.
"The reason that this happened is the reason that so many of these horrific accidents happen. It's because owners of buildings especially put profits over safety. In this particular case, there were numerous violations that were never cured, never dealt with," said attorney Benedict Morelli.
This is one of several lawsuits filed against the building owners. Previously, they have said they are devastated by the loss of Moore and are fully cooperating with authorities.
We have reached out for comment on this lawsuit and have not heard back.
Willis Moore killed in NYC parking garage collapse
Fifty-nine-year-old Willis Moore had worked at the garage on Ann Street in the Financial District for 20 years.
He was a beloved father, grandfather and fiancé. One of his daughters, an NYPD officer, was pregnant when Moore was killed.
On the one-year anniversary of the collapse, Moore's six children left a note at the site reading, "Dad, you will never be forgotten. Rest in Peace. We love you. Love Always, Your Sons and Daughters and all of your grandchildren."
Tragedy leads to changes for NYC parking garage inspections
This tragedy shed light on the lack of inspections for garages. Since then, there's been a push to do safety checks.
By Aug. 1, all garages are required to do, at the very least, a visual inspection. The DOB says that should be enough to catch anything major.
