'This Was Not A Random Accident': Couple Injured In Bridge Collapse Files Suit Against Pittsburgh, PennDOT
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The attorneys for a couple injured in the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse have filed a lawsuit against the city of Pittsburgh and PennDOT, saying the collapse could have been anticipated and prevented.
Tyrone and Velva Perry's pickup plummeted 100 feet to the bottom of a ravine when the bridge collapsed two weeks ago. They both suffered fractured vertebrae.
"This was not a random accident. It was a catastrophe, and it was foreseeable," attorney Paul Ellis said.
Ellis said the city and PennDOT "rolled dice and cut corners at the expense of public safety."
The Perrys' attorneys filed notices of suit seeking damages against the city of Pittsburgh and PennDOT, saying both ignored 10 years of poor inspection reports and calls for the bridge to be overhauled.
Ten people sustained what officials described as minor injuries, but Ellis said there was nothing minor about the Perrys' shattered backs. Their daughter Erin said her mother fractured two vertebrae and her father had one severe fracture.
While Erin said her parents are in good spirits and grateful to be alive, both are in hard-shell back braces and have limited mobility. She said her parents' road to recovery is long, but right now they're not sure how long. She said they're also traumatized after the experience.
"It was such a shocking situation that there were people calling from all over who were sharing prayers and offering support and spoke about their own trauma at the thought of this happening to themselves. So it's a very traumatic experience that's being relived and retold constantly throughout the day," she said.
In addition to a monetary award for the Perrys, the attorneys said they want to help prevent future collapses.
The attorneys indicated they'll be casting a wider net to find all responsible parties. The bridge was owned by the city which has limited liability when it comes to the size of settlements and PennDOT has said it was not responsible for the bridge's upkeep or repair. The attorneys said they'll be looking to potentially add inspectors and construction companies to their list of defendants.
While this is the first suit in this bridge collapse, it's likely not the last.
