Pittsburgh bridge lawsuit/ Forbes Avenue bridge settlement/ Pittsburgh infrastructure collapse settlement/ bridge collapse legal action/ Newslooks/ PITTSBURGH/ The city of Pittsburgh proposes a $500,000 settlement to resolve lawsuits over the January 2022 collapse of the Forbes Avenue Bridge. The collapse sent vehicles plummeting into a ravine, causing injuries but no fatalities. Legal action against engineering firms will continue, while the city addresses its role in the incident.
Pittsburgh Bridge Collapse Settlement Quick Looks:
- Pittsburgh proposes a $500,000 payment to settle bridge collapse lawsuits.
- The Forbes Avenue Bridge collapsed in January 2022, injuring several but causing no deaths.
- The city’s settlement offer represents the full liability damage cap.
- Four cars and a bus fell 100 feet into Fern Hollow Creek during the collapse.
- Legal action against engineering firms involved in the bridge’s maintenance continues.
- Federal investigators blamed inadequate maintenance and ignored inspection reports for the collapse.
- Pittsburgh created a new bridge maintenance division and increased funding after the incident.
- A new bridge at the site opened in December 2022.
Pittsburgh Proposes $500K Settlement for 2022 Bridge Collapse Lawsuits
Deep Look:
The city of Pittsburgh has taken a significant step toward settling lawsuits related to the January 2022 collapse of the Forbes Avenue Bridge, proposing a $500,000 payment. This amount, the maximum liability limit under the city’s statutory obligations, is aimed at resolving legal claims from individuals who were on the bridge at the time of the incident. The collapse sent a bus and four vehicles plunging about 100 feet into Fern Hollow Creek, while another car flipped over after driving off the bridge’s eastern abutment. Though there were injuries, miraculously, no fatalities were reported.
Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak announced the settlement plan on Friday, asking the Pittsburgh City Council to authorize the payment. The settlement still requires approval from both the council and a judge presiding over the case. The proposal comes as the city acknowledges its responsibility in the tragic incident, which left many questioning the state of Pittsburgh’s aging infrastructure.
The collapse of the city-owned bridge, which occurred on January 28, 2022, was attributed to severe neglect. A subsequent federal investigation revealed that the city failed to maintain the bridge properly and ignored inspection reports, which highlighted the corrosion of the steel legs that eventually led to the disaster. City officials did not contest these findings and admitted the need for more robust maintenance practices. Since the incident, the city has established a new bridge maintenance division and significantly increased its budget for repairs and upkeep.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys expressed appreciation for the city’s acknowledgment of responsibility and its willingness to settle the claims. However, they pointed out that this settlement only partially resolves the case. Legal action will continue against three engineering firms that were involved in the inspection and maintenance of the Forbes Avenue Bridge.
Although this proposed settlement may help provide some resolution for those directly affected by the collapse, the legal proceedings against the engineering firms are expected to continue. These firms played key roles in the bridge’s inspection and repair processes, and the plaintiffs will likely argue that their negligence contributed to the disaster.
The city’s response to the bridge collapse has been multifaceted. In addition to establishing a bridge maintenance division, Pittsburgh officials have tripled the funding dedicated to bridge upkeep and repairs in an effort to prevent future tragedies. The new Forbes Avenue Bridge was completed and opened to the public in December 2022, less than a year after the collapse.
This tragic event underscores the importance of infrastructure maintenance and the severe consequences of neglecting critical inspections and repairs. As Pittsburgh works to rebuild public trust, the proposed $500,000 settlement represents a step toward accountability, though the long-term legal battle against the engineering firms remains unresolved.
